“Knock Shrine is very safe to visit”- Fr. Richard Gibbons
By Tom Gillespie
ACTIVITIES at Knock Shrine were greatly impacted due to the Covid lockdown.
However, the lifting of restrictions has seen the reopening of the Marian Shrine, much to the joy of Knock parish priest and rector, Fr. Richard Gibbons.
The story of Knock began on August 21, 1879, when 15 people witnessed an Apparition at the gable wall of the parish church.
On giving their testimonies, the witnesses described a vision of Our Lady, St. Joseph, St. John the Evangelist and a lamb on an altar standing before a Cross.
Fr. Gibbons said: “Our message is that we are open. The Shrine is very safe to visit. We have so many volunteers and ushers as well as our own security staff who are all on hand to assist and make sure that everything is running safely and in line with government guidelines.
"When anybody comes to the Shrine they can rest assured that everything is managed in a very appropriate way according to the restrictions that we have at the moment.”
The celebration of Masses has resumed, and Fr. Gibbons stated: “We are facilitating as many Masses as possible.
"In fact since opening up we have added two extra Masses to cope with the numbers as we are currently limited to 200 people inn the Basilica. This gives the opportunity for people to get to Mass when they come here.”
During Covid, Fr. Gibbons said everything went online.
He explained: "Our online presence just shot straight through the roof. It was extraordinary. Then the elevation of the Shrine to International Status really capped the whole thing.
“Luckily enough, because of the Papal visit in 2018 and the upgrading of the Shrine over the last couple of years, technologically we were almost ahead of the game.
“We did not have to do a lot with out technology. It transitioned very quickly and that helped us enormously. Our website was brand new as well. There is a facility on our website that made it interactive for people.
“However, it is no compensation for the lack of people. The whole point is to have people here.”
He said he found it weird celebrating Mass on his own, adding: “Thank God we had music during the Mass with Úna Nolan and Claire Lavin who did a fantastic job. It was very strange without people present. We are delighted to have them back.”
He stated: “Before Covid came we were planning for a number of things. Just before Covid hit we had our historic Mass in St. Peter’s in Rome with the Pope. It was he first time ‘Our Lady of Knock’ was sung in St. Peter’s.”
Plans to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Apparition at Knock in August 2029 are now being formulated.
Fr. Gibbons said: “We are already looking forward towards 2029 - the 150th anniversary of the Shrine. We are planning ahead as we hope to be able to celebrate this milestone in a very special way.”
The Mass times at Knock Shrine are as follows:
Monday to Friday: 12 noon, 3 p.m., 7.30 p.m. and Rosary at 7 p.m. Saturdays: 12 noon, 3 p.m., 7..30 p.m. and Rosary at 7 p.m.
Sundays: 10 a.m., 12 noon, 3 p.m. (Rosary 2.30 p.m.) and Mass at 5 p.m.
Attendance is restricted to a maximum of 200. All Masses take place in the Basilica.
Confessions are available daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
All of the above details including opening hours for Mass offices are on their website www.knockshrine.ie.