University of Richmond pilgrims travel abroad
STUDENT EXPERIENCE
On a Chaplaincy pilgrimage to Northern Ireland, students meet leaders focused on peacemaking following the decades-long conflict.
In Belfast, eight University of Richmond students viewed political murals and stood before the “peace walls” that divide Catholic and Protestant families. The students traveled during spring break as part of the Chaplaincy’s “Pilgrimage: Northern Ireland,” an immersive experience paired with a semester-long course exploring the religious, historical, and cultural context of the decades-long conflict known as the Troubles.
“We teach our students that the travel is not the culmination,” said Bryn Taylor, associate University chaplain, who co-led the trip with Tom Mullen, Catholic chaplain and senior teaching fellow of journalism. “We return to our everyday lives and incorporate the lessons learned.”
Across Belfast, Corrymeela, and Derry/Londonderry, they encountered the region’s past not only through places, but through people. Journalists, scholars, faith leaders, and survivors shared their personal stories of Northern Ireland’s past and present. They met with those who helped shape and interpret the peace process.
Students listened to their guide, Lee Lavis, as he described the peace walls separating Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods in Belfast. “We left Ireland with a better sense of history and hope, and perspectives to bring home as peacemakers,” said Tom Mullen, one of the trip’s co-leaders.
“The suffering felt painfully recent, and in many ways, ongoing to today,” said junior Maria Byrnes, a history and political science double major who is writing about the Troubles for her history thesis. “All the same, we met so many kind people who were pouring their souls into the peace process. They were breaking generations of trauma and hostility to work for a better future.”
Rugged cliffs overlooking the crashing Sea of Moyle provided a backdrop to their visit to Corrymeela, a community in Ballycastle dedicated to peace and reconciliation work throughout the world. Students participated in experiential learning about peacemaking and joined in to help in the community’s greenhouse, while others helped revive the garden by weeding it.
Moments of reflection were woven throughout the trip — from attending a candlelight Mass at St. Patrick Church in Belfast to making and breaking bread together at the Belfast Cookery School.
“We all felt comfortable talking about challenging topics and personal stories in our reflections each night,” said first-year student Blake Ryan, who was surprised by the level of vulnerability the group inspired. “The close friendships we have developed are unlike many others in my life.”
By the time they reached Derry/Londonderry, where a sweeping pedestrian bridge now links once-divided communities, students saw not only the weight of history but signs of what comes next.
"Having challenging and difficult conversations with people is a key part of resolving conflict and gaining steps toward reconciliation,” Ryan said. “The friendships and relationships we saw throughout the trip between groups of people who should hate each other inspired me to reflect on my interactions with others I may not agree with."
Byrnes shared one of her takeaways from the trip.
“I learned that forgiveness is active and not always linear,” she said. “Too often, forgiveness is framed as saying, it's okay. I learned that to forgive is not to excuse, but rather to intentionally put aside feelings of resentment and choose peace.”
We teach our students that the travel is not the culmination. We return to our everyday lives and incorporate the lessons learned.
