Media Release
Ireland, Jun 1: Konkans Ireland spiritual committee encompasses Vijay Bennis, Celine Nazareth, Ivy Monis, Roshan Vas, Maria Lobo, Arun Lobo, Jim lobo and Rosita Mathias organised daily Mother Mary novena in the month of May through zoom. Many of Konkans Ireland families joined in the prayer every evening. To conclude Mother Mary Novena on May 28 spiritual committee planned a trip to sacred place in Ireland Our Lady of Knock Shrine.
Knock pilgrimage meeting point was at Blanchardstown shopping centre. They all reached there and started our 4 hour journey by bus to Knock Shrine. Including kids around 50 passengers were accommodated in the bus. Fr Suresh started the rosary to start the holy day. Half way through, they stopped to have a little refreshment. Then to entertain the passengers some enthusiasts started singing antakshari. With all this entertainment they completed 4 hour journey within no time.
History of Knock says, at about 8 O’clock on the Thursday evening of the 21st of August 1879, the Blessed Virgin Mary, St Joseph and St John the Evangelist appeared at the south gable of the church at Knock, County Mayo Ireland. Beside them and a little to their left was an altar with a cross and the figure of a lamb, around which angels hovered. There were 15 official witnesses to the apparition, young and old, who watched and prayed for two hours in pouring rain. Two Commissions of Enquiry, in 1879 and 1936, accepted their testimony as trustworthy and satisfactory.
Knock is ranked as an international eucharistic and Marian shrine. It has received many Papal honours including the distinction of two Papal visits, that of St John Paul II in 1979 and Pope Francis in 2018.
They reached Knock, Co. Mayo where a few other groups joined from Cork, Kerry, Tipperary and other corners of Ireland. All together 100 individuals participated in the pilgrimage. After freshening, they entered Our Lady of Knock Basilica for the Holy Mass at 12 noon. Fr Davis celebrated the Holy Mass at the Basilica.
After partaking in the Holy Mass, they had a group picture inside the Basilica. Then spiritual committee arranged delicious lunch contained Chicken biryani, Raita, Pickle and Papad. Thereafter, they visited few shops to buy souvenirs.
They started their journey back to Dublin from Knock. Bus entertainment continued with singing antakshari. Everyone dispersed to their nests after spending all day together. In the history of Konkans Ireland, its first ever Knock pilgrimage was a huge success.