Religion in Ireland

Sunday was a much more relaxed day for us. We got up a little early as we had decided to go to Mass Sunday morning at the Cathedral right near our hostel. Little did we know it was a Latin Mass with readings in English. The service itself was beautiful and uplifting, all about how God grants each person talents and how they should strive to use them for the good of the world. The boy's choir was amazing, they had apparently recorded a CD recently that was getting rave reviews all over the world. But before the service I had a very surreal experience. My grandmother died a few years ago, and due to summer classes I chose to not go see her at her death bed. It was a decition that I haven't really forgiven myself for ever since. A year later I went to Rome on a trip and started a ritual of my own. If I go into church and it has offertory candles I light one in memory of my grandmother. It's just what I do, and I hadn't explained this to anyone in my group, or anyone around me. I just noticed on my way into the cathedral that the candles where there. After my group set down I left my bag with them and went to the back. As I was kneeling to say my respects a woman comes up to me and puts her hand on my shoulder. "Today is her day" is all that she said to me before she lit a candle herself and kneeled down. At that I broke down in tears. For once though they were not tears of sadness, but relief and almost joy. I have no idea how she knew what to say, or even if she knew the weight of what she said. I was still in a strange state when we left so that is one place I forgot to take photos of.