Corrymeela, a Community of Forgiveness

Corrymeela, a Community of Forgiveness

Corrymeela is a dispersed Christian community of reconciliation. There are 180 members, Catholic and Protestant, who commit themselves to search together for the path of peace, as they discover what it means to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

In all our work, Corrymeela seeks to establish a "safe place" where people feel accepted and valued. During a stay at Corrymeela, a person is invited to become part of a "community" that transcends the divisions, which are so powerful in much of life in Northern Ireland. In a secure atmosphere, there is an opportunity to grow in understanding as we listen to one another’s life experiences. We find that "listening" to others, and "telling" our story is a way of growing closer together, and of discovering the vulnerability and humanity of the "other." We find that such an experience can face a person with new choices for their future, as prejudices are uncovered, misunderstandings corrected, and fear is replaced by trust.

— Timothy Kinahan, A More Excellent Way: A Vision for Northern Ireland

Introduction

My deep interest in Northern Ireland is from an unknown source. In part, I know that I was deeply affected by the stories of both frustration and reconciliation that my friend, Jenny, told me after her return from a summer volunteering at the Corrymeela Community. However, Jenny’s parents are from Ireland, her roots are there. Perhaps my heart is there for a reason that will soon be revealed. I am planning on completing my Field Education in Northern Ireland next summer and would like for six of the ten intensive weeks to be spent at the Corrymeela Community near Ballycastle, on the Antrim Coast (see a map of the area, below). I spent four amazing days in Northern Ireland last summer, talking with some of the key players in the ecumenical movement while planning for my Field Education program. I spoke with Trevor Anderson, the Director of Corrymeela at their office in Belfast, I spoke with Johnson McMaster, the Director of the Irish School of Ecumenics who offered to be my mentor next summer. I also spoke with David Stevens, the Secretary for the Irish Council of Churches, and this is only listing a few!

The Corrymeela Community that is located on the Antrim Coast is a retreat center which hosts groups and conferences from all over Northern Ireland and the world. Most of the year is spent with different types of groups, including youth, and the summer is spent hosting families who have been affected by the Troubles either financially, by violence, or both.