17th June 2018 - Knock's Summer Programme 2018

On this weeks programme John and Shane take a look at upcoming events at Knock Shrine over the next few months including of course that important visit its going to have in August! We have our regular look at the liturgical odds & ends for the next week and Fr Frank Duhig joins us for this weeks reflection on the Sunday gospel.

You can listen to the podcast of this weeks full programme HERE.

Knock Shrine Summer Programme

The shrine at Knock in county Mayo is Ireland's National Marian Shrine and is also our Eucharistic Shrine. Each year over 1.5 million people visit the shrine whose story began on the 21st August, 1879 when, at approximately 8 o’clock in the evening, fifteen people from the village of Knock in Co. Mayo, witnessed an Apparition of Our Lady, St. Joseph, St. John the Evangelist, a Lamb and cross on an altar at the gable wall of the Parish Church.The witnesses watched the Apparition in the pouring rain for two hours, reciting the Rosary. Although they themselves were saturated not a single drop of rain fell on the gable or vision. There were fifteen official witnesses to the Apparition, most of whom were from the village of Knock and surrounding areas and ranged in age from just 5 years old to 74 years old. Each of the witnesses gave testimonies to a Commission of  Enquiry in October 1879. The findings of the Commission were that the testimonies were both trustworthy and satisfactory.

Each year the shrine hosts its pilgrimage season and on this weeks programme we wanted to highlight some of the up coming events including of course that special visitor which the shrine is going to have in August 2018.

All information presented is taken from the Knock Shrine website and readers/listeners are encouraged to check the website, Facebook and/or Twitter feed of the shrine for the most up to date information. 

The poster above gives the main regular events at the Shrine but in addition:

• Candlelight Rosary Procession every Thursday night in June July and August 9pm – 9.30pm. In the event of inclement weather, the Rosary will be in the Basilica.

• Public Mini-Vigils take place on the first Friday of the month from May – December

Following the completion of renovation works at the Parish Church & Shrine, there will be a Rededication Mass held on Saturday 23 June at 7.30pm. The Parish Church is 190 years old, built in 1828 by Reverend P. Grady. All are welcome to attend. The Mass will be celebrated by the Archbishop of Tuam, Michael Neary and the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Okolo

Jesuit Week / Week of Ignatian Spirituality 23-31 July ‘Your Life, Your Story, Your Pathway to God’ - Facilitated by Eddie Cosgrove SJ, Terry Howard SJ and Dermot Mansfield SJ.  God takes an interest in each one of us, in every life – a personal interest in the ordinary daily realities and in our deepest longings. Each of us has a story to tell and in that story God is present, calling us to listen and learn. Prayer is about listening as well as speaking. It doesn’t do away with the struggles of life, but it helps us to see that the One who created us wants to guide us and to give us courage and a sense of peace. This is what the Jesuit way of prayer is all about. There will be two 20-minute sessions daily at 11.05am and 7.05pm in the Prayer Guidance Centre and Mass at 3pm in the Basilica. Each day will focus on a different theme. No booking necessary, all welcome.

National Novena 14th - 22nd August 2018 - once we have any further information we will publish it on the blog but make sure to check the Knock Shrine website.

Pope Francis visit to Knock - 26th August 2018

Pope Francis will visit Knock Shrine on Sunday 26 August to pray for families as part of his pastoral visit to Dublin. During his time in Knock Pope Francis will visit the Apparition Chapel and give the Angelus address in front of the Apparition Chapel in the grounds of Knock Shrine. 

The visit of Pope Francis to Knock Shrine will be a ticketed-event and tickets will be free. Those interested in registering for this event in Knock Shrine will be able to do so from Monday 25 June.

Those who would like to attend must register on the World Meeting of Families website.  Tickets may only be obtained by registering online via the WMOF2018 website

Knock Itinerary Sunday 26 August
08:40    Departure by plane for Knock    
09:20    Arrival at the Airport in Knock - Immediate transfer to the Shrine    
09:45    Arrival at Knock Shrine    
Visit to the Apparition Chapel at Knock Shrine    
Angelus on the square in front of the Shrine 
10:45    Transfer to the airport in Knock    
11:10    Arrival at the airport in Knock    
11:15    Departure by plane for Dublin    
11:50    Arrival at Dublin International Airport  

The number of tickets which are going to be made available for the visit of Pope Francis to Knock will be 45,000 as requested by the authorities on health and safety grounds and like all the public papal events, will be strictly ticket only. The tickets will be free but you must have a ticket to attend - it is not just a case of turning up on the day.

For those planning to attend the event at Knock you need to consider a few things from a practicality point of view including, the early timetable bearing in mind with the crowd you will need to be there well before the Pope arrives in Mayo. It will require a lot of standing and walking so something else to bear in mind.

On next weeks programme we will be discussing the events in Dublin for the WMoF2018 and also reminding people that there is still time to volunteer up to June 30th 2018.

Gospel - Mark 4:26-34

Jesus said to the crowds:
“This is how it is with the kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and through it all the seed would sprout and grow,
he knows not how.
Of its own accord the land yields fruit,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,
for the harvest has come.”

He said,
“To what shall we compare the kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them,
but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.

You can listen to Fr Frank's reflection on this weeks gospel extracted from the main programme podcast HERE.

Reflections on this weeks gospel:

Word on Fire

English Dominicans

Sunday Reflections

Centre for Liturgy

Liturgical odds & ends

Liturgy of the Hours - Psalter week 3; 11th week in Ordinary time

Saints of the Week

June 18th - St Marcus
June 19th - St Romuald
June 20th - The Irish Martyrs
June 21st - St Aloysius Gonzaga
June 22nd - St John Fisher and St Thomas Moore
June 23rd - St John's Eve