Homily for the Annual Pilgrimage to Scattery Island
In honour of St Senan
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year A
Matthew 14:22–33
Sunday, 9th of August, 2026
It is a great joy to stand here once again on this beautiful and historic island of Scattery, Inis Cathaigh, in the shadow of the ancient monastery of St Senan, and to celebrate our annual pilgrimage in his honour.
There is something very special about coming to Scattery Island. To arrive here by boat is itself part of the experience. We leave the mainland behind and come to this island that has been a place of prayer, pilgrimage and Christian witness for well over a thousand years.
Here, generations of our ancestors came seeking God. Here, St Senan and those who followed him established a community of faith. Here, monks prayed, worked, studied and welcomed others. And here today, we continue to gather, generation after generation, keeping alive the memory and the faith of those who went before us.
Scattery reminds us that our Christian faith is not something newly invented. It is a precious inheritance handed down to us. We are standing on holy ground, a place where countless people before us lifted their hearts to God.
“Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid.”
The Gospel today brings us onto another stretch of water.
The disciples are in their boat, far from land, and the wind is against them. The sea becomes rough and they are frightened. Then, in the early hours of the morning, they see Jesus coming towards them, walking on the water.
They are terrified, but Jesus says those beautiful words:
“Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid.”
Peter then says, “Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you across the water.” Jesus simply says, “Come.”
Peter steps out of the boat. For a moment, he does what seems impossible. He walks towards Jesus across the water. But then he notices the wind, becomes frightened, and begins to sink.
And immediately Jesus reaches out his hand.
That little scene contains something of the story of every Christian life.
There are times when the waters are calm and the journey seems straightforward. There are other times when the wind is against us, when we are uncertain about the future, when we are conscious of our own weakness, or when we wonder where God is in the midst of the storms of life. And the message of Jesus remains the same: “Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid.”
Perhaps that is one of the great messages that Scattery Island has to offer us today. This island has seen many storms over the centuries. It has known times of prosperity and times of hardship. It has seen people come and go. It has witnessed the changing tides of history. Yet the faith has endured.
St Senan and the generations who followed him understood that the Christian journey is not about having a life without storms. It is about knowing that Christ is with us in the storm.
The Lord does not promise that the waters will always be calm. He promises that he will be with us. And when we begin to sink, as Peter did, Christ reaches out his hand.
A living Christian heritage
Today, as we honour St Senan, we give thanks for his life and witness. Senan belongs not only to the history books. He belongs to the living faith of this region. His name and memory are woven into the story of West Clare, Kilrush and the communities along the Shannon Estuary.
We are the custodians of that inheritance. The ancient stones here on Scattery are magnificent, but the greatest monument to St Senan is not a tower or a ruined church.
- It is a living faith.
- It is found in families who still pray.
- It is found in people who come together for Mass.
- It is found in choirs who sing.
- It is found in those who care for our churches, our graveyards and our places of pilgrimage.
- It is found in those who quietly give their time and energy for the good of their community.
And that brings us very appropriately to the special celebration that is part of our pilgrimage today.
The Benemerenti Medal – Morgan Roughan
Today we have the great pleasure of honouring a gentleman who has given many years of faithful and generous service.
For over forty years, Morgan Roughan has served as choir director in the Church of St. Senan Knockerra, the parish of Knockerra-Killimer.
Forty years is a remarkable length of time. Think of all that has changed in those four decades. Think of the generations of people who have come and gone. Think of the weddings, funerals, First Communions, Confirmations, Christmases, Easters and ordinary Sunday Masses at which his musical leadership helped the people of God to pray. For more than forty years, he has helped give a voice to the faith of the community.
And his service does not stop there. Through his work with the Office of Public Works here on Scattery Island, he has also played an important part in caring for and preserving this extraordinary place and its heritage.
There is something very fitting about honouring him here today.
For St Senan was a man who understood the value of faithful service. The Christian tradition teaches us that the work we do quietly, faithfully and generously is never insignificant in the eyes of God.
A choir director may simply think, “I am helping the choir to sing.” But when the choir sings, people pray.
A person working to care for and preserve this island may simply think, “I am doing my job.” But in doing so, he is helping to protect a precious part of our Christian and cultural heritage for generations yet to come.
That is the beauty of service. We may never fully know where the good we do will travel.
The words of the Gospel are particularly appropriate today: “Come.”
For forty years, Morgan has responded to that invitation through service — faithfully, generously and without seeking recognition.
Today, the Church wishes to recognise that service through the presentation of the Papal Benemerenti Medal, courtesy of Pope Leo. It is a very special honour, and on behalf of the Diocese of Killaloe and all gathered here today, I offer our warmest congratulations to Morgan.
We thank you for your forty years of service to the Church and to the people of Knockerra and Killimer. We thank you for the music, for the commitment, for the countless hours of preparation and service, and for the quiet example of fidelity.
And we thank you for the contribution you have made to Scattery Island and to the preservation of this sacred place.
May God bless you abundantly for all that you have done.
“Lord, save me!”
As we stand here today, perhaps each of us can bring our own prayer to the Lord.
We may have our own storms.
A family concern.
A worry about the future.
A loved one who is sick.
A bereavement.
A difficulty in the Church or in our community.
A burden that perhaps nobody else knows about.
Peter’s prayer is very simple:
“Lord, save me!”
And the Gospel tells us that Jesus immediately reached out his hand. That is the heart of our Christian faith. We are never alone. The Lord who walked across the waters of Galilee is the same Lord whom we meet here today in the Eucharist. The Lord who called Peter out of the boat continues to call each one of us.
And the Lord who reached out his hand to Peter continues to reach out his hand to us. So, on this beautiful island of St Senan, may we have the courage to step out in faith. May we remember the words: “Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid.”
May St Senan pray for the people of West Clare, for Kilrush, Killimer, Knockerra and all the communities around the Inis Cathaigh, Cois Fharraige, the Diocese of Killaloe and further afield.
May he pray for our families, for our young people, for our elderly, for those who are sick and for those who carry heavy burdens.
May he pray especially for the renewal of faith in our parishes and communities.
And may the Christian faith that has been treasured here for so many centuries continue to be handed on to another generation.
- Today we give thanks for St Senan.
- We give thanks for this sacred island.
- We give thanks for the gift of faith.
- And we give thanks for those who, like our Bene Merenti recipient today, have given a lifetime of quiet and faithful service.
May the Lord bless him and all who serve here.
May the Lord bless our pilgrimage.
And may the Lord guide us safely through all the storms of life until, one day, we reach the safe harbour of his eternal Kingdom.
St Senan, pray for us.
Our Lady, Star of the Sea, pray for us.
And may the Lord bless the people of West Clare and all who come in pilgrimage to this holy island.
Amen.