PilgrimChris
Active Member
The following is an article reported in the Catholic Herald (UK) Nov 19th 2010
"An Irishman who was promised by a judge that he would be spared time in prison if he undertook a pilgrimage and said "a few prayers" has completed the task and raised about £2,500 for charity in the process.
Joseph McElwee had been convicted of drunken behaviour and verbally abusing a police officer and faced a prison sentence. But in March, Judge Seamus Hughes came up with a novel opportunity for Mr McElwee to avoid prison time and ordered him to climb Ireland's holiest mountain, Crough Patrick in County Mayo.
Mr McElwee reported to the court this week and showed the judge photographs of himself and 13 friends on top of the 2,500ft mountain where St. Patrick fasted for 40 days in the fifth century. He told the judge he felt the climb had been "therapeutic"."
As many are aware this was a common way for certain "criminals" to make reparation for their crimes in medieval times and in this modern case at least it seems that not only did the offender fulfil his sentence, but also raised money for charity and 13 other people also gained from the experience.
I do not offer an opinion on the sentencing here except to say that if, as i would imagine, the injured parties in the case namely the police officer mentioned were in agreement with the judge's sentencing then arguably more good came from the fulfilling of the sentence than if the former offender had been imprisoned.
God bless the Judge and Joseph and all those involved.
Chris
"An Irishman who was promised by a judge that he would be spared time in prison if he undertook a pilgrimage and said "a few prayers" has completed the task and raised about £2,500 for charity in the process.
Joseph McElwee had been convicted of drunken behaviour and verbally abusing a police officer and faced a prison sentence. But in March, Judge Seamus Hughes came up with a novel opportunity for Mr McElwee to avoid prison time and ordered him to climb Ireland's holiest mountain, Crough Patrick in County Mayo.
Mr McElwee reported to the court this week and showed the judge photographs of himself and 13 friends on top of the 2,500ft mountain where St. Patrick fasted for 40 days in the fifth century. He told the judge he felt the climb had been "therapeutic"."
As many are aware this was a common way for certain "criminals" to make reparation for their crimes in medieval times and in this modern case at least it seems that not only did the offender fulfil his sentence, but also raised money for charity and 13 other people also gained from the experience.
I do not offer an opinion on the sentencing here except to say that if, as i would imagine, the injured parties in the case namely the police officer mentioned were in agreement with the judge's sentencing then arguably more good came from the fulfilling of the sentence than if the former offender had been imprisoned.
God bless the Judge and Joseph and all those involved.
Chris