More On Celtic Journeys

Celtic Journeys has been ongoing since 1999. The idea to do these trips came to Sister Margo after she returned from Ireland with her family in 1996. She fell in love with Ireland and wanted to share the experience with others. So in May of 1999 she led her first group to the Emerald Isle and has continued to do so each year.

There is something truly enchanting about Ireland, especially in May; the sweet fragrance of the air, the wild rhododendron throughout the countryside, the walls of fuchsia… And then of course the charming towns with their brightly painted buildings, the spectacular seascapes, the softly rolling hills in so many shades of green. It is said that Ireland, once visited, is never forgotten… it is very true.

But before long people asked would we ever be going to Scotland? Wales? What about Cornwall? So with some consideration, Sr. Margo began planning trips to these other Celtic lands as well.

Mid-September is a lovely month to be in the United Kingdom, when the heather is still in bloom covering the hillsides as far as the eye can see. And the castles, the cathedrals, the ancient ruins…

The trips are organized by Sr Margo, who does all the planning. What this entails is booking the flights, lining up the coach transportation, making arrangements for the accommodations, and deciding what we see and where we go. We do not use a travel agent.

Celtic Journeys is sponsored by the Community of St. John Baptist in Mendham, New Jersey. The Community of St John Baptist and Celtic Journeys act solely as sponsors for this trip and are not responsible or liable for any losses, delays, personal injury, or property damage incurred while traveling.

Celtic Journeys does not provide travel insurance. Cancellation and/or trip interruption insurance is highly recommended and must be obtained separately.

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  "Sometimes a Star"
  by M.E. Colman (Sr Margo)

Press Release
M.E. Colman is a life-professed member of the Convent of St. John Baptist, an Episcopal religious community for women in Mendham, NJ. For years Sr Margo has been leading groups to Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Cornwall. These group tours take the form of pilgrimages for many, a return to roots for some, or simply a vacation for others. After one such trip, Colman was driven to return to Ireland and speak to people there, to “tell their stories.” Sometimes a Star was written as a way of bridging the gap between many of the books being written on Celtic spirituality, and what M.E. Colman herself was seeing while in Ireland. The result is an exploration of what “real people” are currently thinking and feeling about faith in Ireland. The book is a series of candid, absorbing conversations between Colman and a variety of people: a retired steel worker; Tony Flannery, a Redemptorist priest and author; a student; a young journalist; a Church of Ireland member; a farmer; an Anglican priest serving in Ireland; a former religious who now does charity work for the “travelers” in Ireland; Liam Lawton, a priest and a composer and performer of spiritual music—and many others. A vast range of topics is covered and discussed, from Celtic Spirituality to Celtic music to the state of the Catholic Church today—the scandals, celibacy, declining numbers in congregations and ordained priests—and what could be done, if indeed something should be done. M.E. Colman was eager to get a spectrum of perspectives from a wide range of ages, and was also determined for people to feel free and comfortable to talk about if they were not going to church, why that was so. She also asks each person “What sustains you?” and the answers are fascinating and inspiring. Often funny, thoroughly readable, and always thought provoking, M. E. Colman’s Sometimes a Star is a welcome exploration of faith today.