This Sunday, August 15, the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven, Father Richard Gibbons PP will celebrate Mass from Our Lady’s Basilica in Knock, Co Mayo, Archdiocese of Tuam.  This Mass will be broadcast via the Eurovision Global Network.

Attendance at the Mass will be restricted to 200 people on a first-come, first-served basis with strict queuing systems in place.  The liturgy will feature music by the Schola Cantorum Basilicae under the direction of Úna Nolan with Organist Charles O’Connor.  The Mass will also be live-streamed on the Knock Shrine website www.knockshrine.ie/watch

At 11.00 am on the feast day, outside broadcast coverage of this Mass, which will be produced by Kairos Communications, will be televised on RTÉ One, on RTÉ Radio 1 Extra / LW252, and also via the Eurovision Global Network, making it available to watch in France (F2), Belgium (RTBF, VRT), the Netherlands (KRO) and Switzerland (RTS, RSI).  The broadcast will also be accessible on the RTÉ Player and RTÉ Radio Player.

The story of Knock began on August 21, 1879, when Our Lady, Saint Joseph, and Saint John the Evangelist appeared at the south gable of Knock Parish Church.  This miraculous silent apparition was witnessed by fifteen people, young and old.  Knock is an internationally recognized Marian Shrine and was visited by Pope Saint John Paul II in 1979 as part of his apostolic pilgrimage, and in 2018 by Pope Francis as part of the celebrations in Ireland for the IX World Meeting of Families. On 19 March 2021, Pope Francis officially recognized Knock as an International Marian Shrine through the Pontifical Council for New Evangelisation. 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 www.knockshrine.ie for more information.