More Than
a Journey
Our pilgrimage to Knock Shrine is much more than a journey, it is a profound spiritual experience in a place of special Marian and Eucharistic presence.
It is an opportunity to:
- • Encounter God
- • Grow interiorly
- • Open our hearts to conversion
- • Walk with the Virgin Mary in this unique sanctuary
Reflection for the Journey
As you make your pilgrimage to Knock, take time to pray and reflect:
1. In what areas of your life do you need to welcome God’s love and mercy?
2. What are your intentions for this pilgrimage?
3. What longing do you carry in your heart that you would like to entrust to the Virgin Mary today?
Knock Pilgrimage – May
May is a very special month in the life of the Church, as we turn our hearts in a particular way to Mary, the Mother of Jesus and our Mother too. It is a time set aside for her, almost as if the Church itself pauses to say: we love you, we need you, and we want to stay close to you.
During this month, we are invited to remember her in a simple, personal way: through prayer, through little acts of love, through May altars filled with flowers, and through hymns that speak of affection and trust.
May also feels like a season of new life. Everything is blossoming, everything is beginning again, and in that freshness, Mary shines as a quiet model for us. Let us take advantage of this pilgrimage to honour our Mother, renew our filial relationship with her, and give thanks.
📍 Practical Information
📍 Departure Meeting Point: Hotel Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin
⏰ Departure Time: 8:15 AM . Please be punctual. Kindly aim to arrive at least half an hour early, and bear in mind that public transport can be more limited on Sundays. We won’t be able to wait for anyone, as we will be leaving promptly.
🚌 Return time: 5:00 PM
🏡 Arrival in Dublin around 7:30–8:00 PM
🍴 Lunch:
At Knock Shrine, there are a few cafés and restaurants available. The options are somewhat limited, but there are places to eat. If the weather forecast is favourable, the shrine also has lovely grounds suitable for a picnic, so you’re very welcome to bring your own packed lunch as an option.
🛑 Stops during the Journey: There will be stops on both the outward and return journeys. The trip takes approximately two and a half to three hours, so we will make one stop each way for toilets and coffee.
🎒 Other: Please bring your own water bottle, as well as some snacks or fruit if you wish, for the journey to and from on the bus.
📿 Religious articles: You can purchase religious items and souvenirs from the Knock Shrine Gift Shop (Reference 22 on the map), located within the Shrine grounds.
Alternatively, there are also religious shops along the Main Street of the Shrine complex, the same area where you will find References 35 and 34 on the map, offering a wide selection of devotional items, rosaries, medals, and mementos from Knock.
Itinerary for May 10
Everything is optional, simply an invitation to help you grow closer to Our Lady. Each person is free to follow their own pace. The only requirement is to respect the departure and return times.
-
08.15
🚌Departure
Hotel Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin. Please arrive 30 mins early.
-
12.00
⛪ Holy Mass
Apparition Chapel at Knock Shrine.
Confessions available from 13.00 to 16.30
Chapel of Reconciliation at Knock Shrine -
13.00
☕ Lunch (Free Time)
Time to rest and eat at your own pace.
Options for Lunch: Knock Shrine Coffee Shop and Restaurant (Reference 22 on the map), located within the Shrine grounds, offers a convenient place to pause for refreshments during your visit. Alternatively, there are various cafes and restaurants along the Main Street of the Shrine complex (References 35 and 34) providing additional options for meals, light snacks, and coffee close to the pilgrimage area.
You may also enjoy:
- • Walking through the shrine grounds.
- • Visiting the Basilica (Reference 18 on the map). You will encounter its striking modern architecture, with a large mural of the Apparition displayed inside.
- • Visiting the Apparition Chapel (Reference 1 on the Map): you will find a closed chapel with the altar set directly against the wall where the Apparition actually took place. In this sacred space, you can see sculptures depicting how the heavenly figures appeared to the witnesses. That very wall is the original back wall of the small church at Knock. You can also enter the current parish church itself (Reference 2 on the map).
- • Visiting the Chapel of Reconciliation (Reference 31 on the map).
-
15.00
📿Holy Rosary
Meeting point: Outside the Apparition Chapel (Reference 1 on the map).
-
15.30
✝️Way of the Cross
Hour of Mercy. (Reference 5 on the map).
-
16.00
💙Talk: Love for the Virgin Mary
Meeting point: Outside the Apparition Chapel (Reference 1 on the map).
-
17.00
🚌Return to Dublin
Meeting point: at the parking area where the bus will stop on arrival (Reference P- NORTH CAR PARK on the map). Please save the location on your phone when we arrive.
Each person is free to follow their own pace or to join the proposed program as they wish. The only requirement is to respect the departure and return times.
Spiritual Opportunities
Bring your intentions
Bring all your intentions: your family, your work, your friendships, your dreams… everything that is in your heart. Place them before God and Our Lady with simplicity and trust. Nothing is too small or too big for them. Offer it all.
Bring your thanksgiving
Bring your thanksgiving too. So often we forget to thank God and Our Lady for all they have done in our lives. Take a moment to ask yourself: what can I thank God for this past year, or even in my life right now? Think about it from the heart. Let gratitude rise within you naturally, and don't forget to say thank you for all the blessings, seen and unseen. Place everything in Mary's hands 💙
Spiritual Direction - Confessions
We are blessed to be accompanied on this pilgrimage by Father Phillip and Father Gavan, who will be serving as our spiritual directors throughout this special day. Father Phillip and Father Gavan will be heard confessions in the Chapel of Reconciliation at Knock Shrine. They will be available in both English and Spanish.
In addition, there will be other priests available in the shrine offering confessions in different languages, so everyone will have the opportunity to receive this sacrament of healing and grace.
The Story of Knock
In the northwest of Ireland lies Knock Shrine, a small village that became one of the most important Marian shrines in the world.
The Apparition
On August 21, 1879, a heavenly apparition took place. The Virgin Mary appeared with St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist. What makes this apparition unique is the presence of the Eucharistic Lamb, standing on an altar before a cross, surrounded by angels.
A Witnessed Event
The apparition lasted 2 hours and was seen by 15 witnesses ranging in age from 5 to 74. Today, Knock remains a place of faith, hope, and encounter with God.
🌹 What is a Pilgrimage (Romería)?
A “romería” is a pilgrimage to honor the Virgin Mary.
A romería is a pilgrimage or journey, traditionally made on foot, on horseback, or in carts, undertaken as an act of devotion to a shrine, chapel, or sacred place dedicated to the Virgin Mary or a patron saint. It combines religious fervour with a popular celebration, often including music, dancing, and outdoor meals upon reaching the destination.
Main characteristics:
- • The term romería comes from romero, originally used to describe those who travelled to Rome on pilgrimage. Over time, it came to refer more generally to any religious journey made in devotion.
- • A romería has a dual nature: it unites prayer and religious practice (such as Mass and processions) with a joyful popular celebration. It is both an act of faith and a cultural expression of community life.
- • It also strengthens bonds of fraternity and local identity, as people journey together in a shared spirit of devotion and joy.
- • Romerías are usually held in natural or rural settings, often near small chapels or hermitages, and are typically celebrated annually on specific feast days.
They are deeply rooted in the traditions of Spain, Latin America, and parts of Europe, as a living expression of popular faith, devotion, and cultural heritage.