How the Bishop Sailed to Inniskeen

Sitting in a tumbledown church along the western coast of Ireland, Pat Hogan tells of a stone relic and its disappearance.  He recalls that his grandfather witnessed the rock taken at Christmas by a bishop and lost in a tempestuous sea.

As part of his ministry, the bishop resolves to travel his country and say mass in a different village each Christmas Eve.  Hearing of the lonesome isles of Inniskeen, the priest resolves to visit.

A boat is made ready, and Pat’s great-grandfather wins the privilege of ferrying the bishop to the Inniskeas.  Owing to the dangerous crossing, Pat’s grandfather is made to wait with the other villagers in the town’s chapel.

The bishop arrives on the island in the night and delivers a sermon that enraptures the congregation.  He offers his blessings, hands a letter to the church’s caretaker, and asks for and receives the holy stone.

Pat’s grandfather follows his father and the bishop to the coast, where they board a small boat to the mainland.  As the sun rises, the ship and its passengers vanish.  

Pat suggests that his companion return to the island on Christmas Eve and stand watch for the spirits of the villagers who return in search of the bishop’s mass.