August 2018

It is official. Pope Francis will visit the National Marian Shrine in Knock on Sunday 26th August as part of his pastoral visit to Dublin for the World Meeting of Families 2018. 

The meeting is taking place from Tuesday 21st August to Sunday 26th August on the theme: 'The Gospel of the Family: Joy for the World’.

On Sunday, he will fly to Knock from Dublin on a specially chartered Aer Lingus flight and travel to the Shrine by motorcade along the N17. He will say the rosary in the Apparition Chapel, pray for families and give the Angelus address in the ground of the Shrine.

He will then fly back to Dublin where he will say Mass in the Phoenix Park at 3.00pm where no more than 600,000 people will attend for health and safety reasons according to Gardai and city authorities decision.

It is believed the visit to Knock is the Pope’s will because he has a particular devotion to Virgin Mary.

Mayo people will turn out in significant numbers to warmly welcome Pope Francis on his visit to Knock Shrine.