Colm Fitzpatrick
Visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to Knock Irelands National Marian Shrine. Pope Francis recieves a taper from Molly Hunt and Sean Burke who represent the two youngest witness John Curry (Aged 5) and Catherine Murray (aged 8) at Knock Apparition chapel. Pic:Michael Mc Laughlin The message of the Gospel is an “invitation and a challenge” to all families to make time and space for prayer in the home, Tuam’s archbishop has said.
Speaking in the Shrine to Our Lady of Knock in the presence of Pope Francis, Archbishop Michael Neary said it was an “honour, a privilege, and a tremendous blessing” for the Pontiff to lead Catholics in prayer, before the scene of the Apparition.
The archbishop described Pope Francis’ presence in Ireland as “profoundly important”: “You are identifying a special and sacred place to which everybody – without exception – may come to drink from the oasis of peace and renewal that exists here, and you are planting the seeds generated by the World Meeting of Families 2018”, he said, noting that these seeds will hopefully blossom into an invitation to Christian families to value the gifts of marriage and family.
Speaking to around 45,000 people, the archbishop said that by Francis coming to meditate on and pray before the Apparition Scene at Knock, he is reminding the faithful that when “a family is centred on Christ, he will nullify and illumine its entire life”.
“This is an invitation and a challenge to all families to make time and space for prayer in the home,” he said.
“Holy Father, your pilgrimage to Our Lady’s Shrine invites us to open ourselves up anew to The Joy of the Gospel, and it causes us to sing with the prophet: ‘How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings Good News, announces peace, proclaims the news of happiness, and says ‘Our Lord reigns’. Thank you for honouring us by your visit, and may God and our Lady go with you.”