Pilgrimage to Loughrea, County Galway

Members and friends of the Catholic Heritage Association returned in pilgrimage to Saint Brendan's Cathedral, Loughrea, the jewel of the Celtic Arts and Crafts revival. A report of the 2017 pilgrimage can be found here. The Mass was offered for the unborn as it was the morning of the vote count for the Referendum on the 8th Amendment to the Irish Constitution.

The Cathedral's website can be found here.

The Buildings of Ireland survey with additional images of the architectural detail can be found here. 

Roaringwater Journal gives a really good detailed view of the art of the Cathedral here.

The Dictionary of Irish Architects gives details of the works of the Cathedral here.

Aidan McRae Thompson's excellent flickr album of the Cathedral can be accessed here.

Wikipedia has a short account of the Cathedral here.

Traditional Easter Ceremonies

The Easter Ceremonies in the Gregorian Rite:

Holy Thursday

4 p.m. - Holy Mass: Silverstream Priory, Stamullen, Co. Meath
6 p.m. - Holy Mass: Sacred Heart Church, The Crescent, Limerick City
6 p.m. - Holy Mass: Ss. Peter and Paul's Church, Paul Street, Cork City
7 p.m. - Holy Mass: St. Kevin's Church, Harrington Street, Dublin 8.
7.30 p.m. - Tenebrae: Silverstream Priory, Stamullen, Co. Meath

Good Friday

12 noon - Stations of the Cross: Ss. Peter and Paul's Church, Paul Street, Cork City
3 p.m. - Liturgy of the Passion: Sacred Heart Church, The Crescent, Limerick City
3 p.m. - Liturgy of the Passion: Silverstream Priory, Stamullen, Co. Meath
5 p.m. - Liturgy of the Passion: St. Kevin's Church, Harrington Street, Dublin 8.
6 p.m. - Liturgy of the Passion: Ss. Peter and Paul's Church, Paul Street, Cork City
7 p.m. - Stations of the Cross: St. Kevin's Church, Harrington Street, Dublin 8.
7.30 p.m. - Tenebrae: Silverstream Priory, Stamullen, Co. Meath

Holy Saturday

12.30 p.m. - Tenebrae: Ss. Peter and Paul's Church, Paul Street, Cork City
8 p.m. - Easter Vigil: Silverstream Priory, Stamullen, Co. Meath
8.30 p.m. - Easter Vigil: Ss. Peter and Paul's Church, Paul Street, Cork City
9 p.m. - Easter Vigil: Sacred Heart Church, The Crescent, Limerick City
9 p.m. - Easter Vigil: St. Kevin's Church, Harrington Street, Dublin 8.

Easter Sunday

9 a.m. - Holy Mass: St. Mary's Church, Ballyhea, Co. Cork
9 a.m. - Holy Mass: St. Mary's Church, Chapel Street, Newry, Co. Down
10 a.m. - Holy Mass: St. Patrick's Church, Drumkeen, Co. Donegal
10 a.m. - Holy Mass: Silverstream Priory, Stamullen, Co. Meath
10.30 a.m. - Holy Mass: Sacred Heart Church, The Crescent, Limerick City
10.30 a.m. - Holy Mass: St. Kevin's Church, Harrington Street, Dublin 8.
12 noon - Holy Mass: Ss. Peter and Paul's Church, Paul Street, Cork City
1.30 p.m. - Holy Mass: Holy Cross Church (O.P.), Tralee, Co. Kerry
2 p.m. - Holy Mass: St. Columba's Church, Longtower, Derry City
4 p.m. - Holy Mass: St. Therese's Church, Somerton Road, Belfast City
5 p.m. - Holy Mass: St. Patrick's Church, College Road, Kilkenny City
5.30 p.m. - Holy Mass: Blessed Sacrament Chapel, Our Lady's Shrine, Knock, Co. Mayo

Beannachtaí na Cásca oraibh go léir!
A happy and holy Easter to one and all!

August 2017 Monthly Latin Mass in Knock

July 2017 Monthly Latin Mass in Knock

June 2017 Monthly Latin Mass in Knock

May 2017 Monthly Latin Mass in Knock

The Weeping Madonna of Gyor

The Chapel of Saint Anne, Gyor

In a Chapel dedicated to Saint Anne in the Cathedral of Gyor in Hungary is enshrined a crowned image of Our Lady and the Child Jesus. It is known as the Irish Madonna. The image had once hung in the Cathedral of Clonfert.

It was saved from the maurading Cromwellian forces by Walter Lynch, Bishop of Clonfert, who had escaped from imprisonment on Innisboffin in 1649 and was able, three years later to flee into exile with the painting.

In his exile he met Bishop János Puski of Gyor who made him a member of his Cathedral Chapter in 1655, saving him from destitution. Bishop Lynch died in 1663, leaving the Madonna to Bishop Puski, who had it placed for the veneration of the faithful in the Cathedral.

The Irish Madonna of Gyor

On 17th March, 1697, the feast of Saint Patrick, the Madonna began to weep tears of blood from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. The picture was removed and the wall examined and found to be dry. The phenomenon was attested to by hundreds of people including Count Seigebert Hester, Captain General of the City, the Bishop, and even by Lutheran and Calvinist Ministers and a Jewish Rabbi. The Captain General and his wife had a shrine built for the Irish Madonna and established a fund to ensure Benediction and the Litany were celebrated before it every Saturday and Feast of Our Lady.

On the 250th Anniversary of the miraculous weeping the Bishops of Hungary came to venerate the Madonna and do so every years on 17th March. For the Marian Year in 1997 a Papal Legate was sent to the shrine, which was raised to the status of Minor Basilica. The Basilica also contains the tombs of St. Ladislaus I and Blessed Vilmos Apor. St. John Paul II prayed at the shrine of the Irish Madonna on his visit to Hungary. The Hungarians have spread devotion to the Irish Madonna of Gyor across the world, especially across the United States of America.

April 2017 Monthly Latin Mass in Knock

March 2017 Monthly Latin Mass in Knock

February 2017 Monthly Latin Mass in Knock

January 2017 Monthly Latin Mass in Knock

December 2016 Monthly Latin Mass in Knock

November 2016 Monthly Latin Mass in Knock

October 2016 Monthly Latin Mass in Knock

September 2016 Monthly Latin Mass in Knock

The titular patrons of Churches in the Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora

Galway Cathedral was consecrated on 15th August, 1965.  Under the rubrics of the Gregorian Rite it is a I class feast throughout the Diocese.  The Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora consists of thirty-nine parishes, grouped into five deaneries, covering parts of counties Galway, Clare and Mayo.

It is not surprising that the devotion of the Irish people to Our Lady is giving a very concrete expression in the patronage of Churches in the Diocese.

Our Lord
Eight Churches have titles dedicated to Our Lord: Church of the Resurrection, Ballinfoyle; Good Shepherd Church, Doughiska Road; Sacred Heart Church, Seamus Quirke Road, Christ the King, Salthill; Corpus Christi, Lisdoonvarna; the Holy Family, Mervue; Séipéal an Ioncolaithe, Rosmuc; The Nativity, Kilchreest.

Our Lady
Twenty Churches are dedicated to Our Lady under various titles, including the Assumption three times, the Immaculate Conception six times and Our Lady of Lourdes twice: Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven & St Nicholas; The Assumption and Saint James, Claregalway; An Deastógáil, Camus; Immaculate Conception, Moycullen; Immaculate Conception, Oranmore; Immaculate Conception, Oughterard; Immaculate Conception, Glencorrib; Immaculate Conception, Collinamuck; Church of the Immaculate Conception, Lahinch; Our Lady of Lourdes, Toovahera; Ban Tiarna Lourdes agus Naomh Colmcille, Leitirmóir; Saint Mary on the Hill, Claddagh; Our Lady of the Valley, Glann; Mary Immaculate Queen, Barna; Immaculate Heart of Mary, Killanin; the Annunciation, Clarinbridge; Holy Rosary, Doolin; Cill Mhuire, Na Minna; Holy Family, Mervue; Church of Our Lady & St Michael, Ennistymon

The Saints
Of the Saints having Churches in the Diocese dedicated to them, St. Columba and St. Colman are joint favourites with five each: Saint Columba, Castlegar; Saint Columba, Kilbeacanty; Saint Columba, Carron; Church of St Columba, Clouna; Ban Tiarna Lourdes agus Naomh Colmcille, Leitirmóir; Saint Colman, Ballinderreen; Saint Colman, Craughwell; Saint Colman, Gort Saint Colman, Tierneevan; Saint Colman, Kinvara.

Saint Joseph is next with five dedications (including the Holy Family): Saint Joseph, Maree; Saint Joseph, Presentation Road; Saint Joseph, Shrule; Saint Joseph, Kinvara; Holy Family, Mervue.

Our National Apostle, with three dedications, is equal in number with the Spanish St. Teresa of Avila, perhaps reflecting a Spanish connection with Galway: Saint Patrick, Forster Street; Saint Patrick, Murrough; Saint Patrick, New Quay; Saint Teresa of Avila, Ardrahan; Cill Treasa, Ros a' Mhíl; Saint Teresa, Castledaly.

Saint Brigid, with two dedications, shares that with Saint Attracta and, perhaps surprisingly, Saint Augustine: Saint Brigid, Ballybane; Saint Brigid, Liscannor; Saint Attracta, Kiltartan; Saint Attracta, Kiltoraght; Saint Augustine, Middle Street; Saint Augustine, Kilshanny.

The remaining Saints have only one dedication each: Church of Our Lady & St Michael, Ennistymon; Saint John the Baptist, Ballyvaughan; Saint Ann, Beagh; Saint Thomas Apostle, Peterswell; The Assumption and Saint James, Claregalway; Saint John the Apostle, Knocknacarra; Saint Flannan, Moymore; Saint Kieran, Durus; Saint Moucha, Noughaval; Cill Éinde, An Spidéal; Saint Fachanan, Kilfenora; Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven & St Nicholas; Saint Oliver Plunkett, Renmore; Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis Street, Galway.

It would appear that the Church in Gort Mór has no specific dedication.

August 2016 Monthly Latin Mass in Knock

July 2016 Monthly Latin Mass in Knock

Our Lady of Galway

Our Lady of Galway

In the Dominican Church of St. Mary on the Hill, Claddagh, Galway City, you will find an Altar to Our Lady that incorporates the original statue of Our Lady of Galway, a seventeenth century image, although said to have been a much older statue recovered and restored.  It was crowned in 1683 with a silver crown the gift of John Kirwan, the first Catholic Mayor of Galway in more than a century.  She holds a mother of pearl Rosary the gift of the fishermen of Claddagh. 

Dominican Church, Claddagh

The new Dominican Church was built in 1891.  The Altar shows a Claddagh fishing boat, known as a hooker, St. Enda, the patron of Claddagh, and St. Attracta. 

The Annual Triduum to Our Lady of Galway takes place each year around the end of May or the beginning of June.

Mass is celebrated here in the Gregorian Rite by the Priests of the Institute of Christ the King from Galway, every Sunday at 2.30 p.m. with Confessions from 2 p.m.

June 2016 Monthly Latin Mass in Knock