John Egan honoured for 50 years of loyal service to Knock Shrine

KNOCK man John Egan has been presented with a silver medallion by Knock Shrine in appreciation of his incredibly service over the last five decades. Fr Richard Gibbons, PP, officiated at the surprise ceremony.

John is synonymous with the Order of Malta in Knock and the province over the years and is one of its best known members in Ireland.

He has been providing first-aid medical cover at Knock Shrine for 50 years. His first day on duty was May 5, 1973. Since then he has been to the fore presiding over the voluntary emergency services for two Papal Visits (1979 and 2018), the visit of Mother Teresa (1993), and the National Eucharistic Congress (2015) as well as a myriad of other big occasions down the years.

Apart from Knock Shrine, John has coordinated the medical cover for the opening of Knock Airport and several other major events around the region. He has been to Lourdes 44 times leading groups from around the country and also to Rome on a few occasions including the pilgrimage in 2015 to coincide with the Order of Malta International Jubilee Year.

In 2014, John was conferred with a major honour at an Order of Malta ceremony in Dublin when he was inducted as a Knight of Magistral Grace attached to the Irish Association, an honour acknowledging his years of loyal and unstinting service to the aims and ethos of the Order of Malta.

Fr Richard thanked John and the Order of Malta for their unstinting service to Knock Shrine and the district week after week and year after year. He said they are always on call to respond to any emergency and continue to be an invaluable service to the Shrine and parish.

Pictured above is Fr Richard presents a silver medallion to John in appreciation of his loyal services to the Shrine, parish and region for 50 years. Also in photo are Order of Malta members Una Monaghan and Michael Rattigan.