Knock Novena gets underway this Monday

THE 2023 annual National Novena to Our Lady of Knock gets underway this Monday afternoon, August 14, and continues until Tuesday night, August 22. Around 100,000 are expected to visit the Shrine and village during the Novena.
The speaker on the opening day of the Novena will be Fr John Joe Duffy, PP, of Creeslough, Donegal, whose gentle and consoling presence during the funerals of the ten victims of the Creeslough explosion last October touched the hearts of so many people all over the country and overseas.
Fr Duffy will speak on the theme of ‘Caring for Others’. He will share his experience of helping the community of Creeslough through this unbelievably harrowing time and how his faith sustained him and others.
August 15, the Feast of the Assumption, has traditionally been one of the biggest days of the year at Knock Shrine. Several people maintain the long tradition of walking through the night to attend the 6am Mass in the Parish Chapel.
The speaker at the 3pm ceremony will be His Excellency Archbishop Luis Mariano Montemayor, Papal Nuncio to Ireland. He was born on March 16, 1956, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 2015 he became Apostolic Nuncio in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2018 he was Apostolic Nuncio in Colombia.
Paula McKeown will be the speaker at the 8pm ceremony. She is Deputy Chair of the Synodal Pathway of the Catholic Church in Ireland.
The guest speaker on Wednesday, August 16, is Seán O’Rourke, the popular and well respected presenter with RTÉ who retired in 2020.
Fr Richard Gibbons, PP, Knock, says the National Novena to Our Lady of Knock offers people the opportunity to step away from everyday life and immerse oneself in prayer in the beautiful, peaceful grounds of Knock Shrine.
“Over the course of the nine-day Novena, we will hear from guest speakers each day who will offer insights on a variety of topics, from personal faith stories, to how we are responding to a changing world.
“You are invited to take this time to reflect and explore within yourself on how to embrace the challenges we face in our faith. Our theme for this year is ‘Caring for Creation’.
“Workshops will take place at 12 noon and daily walking tours (organised by Knock Museum) will take place at 10.30am throughout the Novena. The Family Day will take place on Sunday 20 August from 11am to 3pm.”
We will have more on the Knock Novena and other speakers in next week’s issue of The Mayo News. See the full programme at www.knockshrine.ie.