You, or a representative, are invited to a celebration of Mass at the national Marian Shrine, Knock, Co Mayo, to mark the centenary of the Marian apparitions in Fatima, Portugal. Members of the World Apostolate of Fatima will attend this Mass which will be celebrated by its national patron for Ireland, Archbishop Eamon Martin. Details:
| Time and date | Sunday 9 July 2017 at 3.00pm |
| Venue | National Marian Shrine, Knock, Co Mayo in the Archdiocese of Tuam |
| In attendance | Archbishop Eamon Martin will be chief celebrant for the Mass which will be concelebrated by Father Richard Gibbons PP, bishops and other clergy. Cardinal Seán Brady will preside at the Mass. Professor Américo Pablo López Ortiz, President of the World Apostolate of Fatima International, will also be in attendance. |
This celebration will offer a time for prayer and reflection on this special centenary and also an opportunity to celebrate the canonisation by Pope Francis on the Feast day of Our Lady of Fatima (13 May last), of two of the visionaries of the Marian apparitions at Fatima, Jacinta and Francisco Marto. The International Pilgrim Statue from Fatima will be brought to Knock for the occasion. After the Rosary Procession, Archbishop Martin will renew the Prayer of Consecration of Ireland to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (see below) which was undertaken at Knock by the Irish bishops in August 2014, and will also bless a new crown for the National Pilgrim Statue of Ireland.
ENDS
Notes for Editors
- Archbishop Eamon Martin is Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland.
- Prayer of Consecration of Ireland to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and Refuge of Sinners, we entrust and consecrate ourselves, our family, our home, our Dioceses and Ireland our country to Jesus through your Immaculate Heart. As your children, we promise to follow your example in our lives by doing at all times the will of God.
O Mary, Spouse of the Holy Spirit, we renew today the promises of our Baptism and Confirmation. Intercede for us with the Holy Spirit that we may be always faithful to your Divine Son, to his Mystical Body, the Catholic Church, and to the teachings of his Vicar on earth, our Holy Father the Pope.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, our Queen and our Mother, we promise to uphold the sanctity of marriage and the welfare of the family. Watch over our minds and hearts and preserve our young people from dangers to their faith and the many temptations that threaten them in the world today.
We ask you, Mary our Advocate to intercede with your divine Son. Obtain for our country the grace to uphold the uniqueness of every human life, from the first moment of conception to natural death.
O Blessed Mother, Our Life, Our Sweetness and Our Hope, we wish that this Consecration be for the greater glory of God and that it lead us safely to Jesus your Son.
A Naomh-Mhuire, a Mháthair Dé, guigh orainn na peacaigh, anois agus ar uair ár mbáis.
Amen
- The story of Knock began on the 21 August 1879 when Our Lady, Saint Joseph and Saint John the Evangelist appeared at the south gable of Knock Parish Church. This miraculous apparition was witnessed by fifteen people, young and old. Knock is an internationally recognised Marian Shrine and was visited by Pope Saint John Paul II as part of his 1979 apostolic pilgrimage to Ireland. During his visit, which coincided with the Shrine’s centenary year, the late pope celebrated Mass at the Shrine and addressed the sick, their helpers and pilgrimage directors. Archbishop Michael Neary, Archbishop of Tuam, is the custodian of the Marian Shrine and Father Richard Gibbons is parish priest of Knock and rector of the shrine. Please see: knockshrine.ie
- 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima. Between 13 May and 13 October of 1917 three shepherd children, Lucia Santos and her cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marto, reported visions of the Virgin Mary. Pope Francis travelled to Fatima on the Feast day of Our Lady of Fatima in May where he canonised the young shepherds Jacinta and Francisco Marto.
For media contact: Catholic Communications Office Maynooth: Martin Long 00353 (0) 86 172 7678
