We were going to go north into Northern Ireland (England), but, sadly, some of the places (St Patrick’s Purgatory) were not open for visits, so we jumped ahead on our schedule.
On our way to Roscommon, we saw this old church in Granard. St Mary’s was simple but elegant allowing the stained glass and ceiling to stand out. The parish also had a prayer garden that was really neat. We only got a few pictures before it started raining and we dashed!
Roscommon Sacred Heart of Jesus
Construction on the main church was started on St Patrick’s day, 1897 and completed in 1903. The steeple was added in 1916. It was built to honor a beloved bishop who had been born in Roscommon in 1819 and ministered to the people during and after the great famine.
Our Lady of Knock
For two hours in August, 1879, fifteen witnesses (ages 11 to 68) saw Our Lady, St Joseph, and St John the Evangelist appear along with the Eucharistic Lamb standing on an altar in front of a cross, surrounded by angels.
Our Lady of Knock Shrine was built on the site of this Apparition and draws thousands of pilgrims each year.
The shrine is a large, airy campus full of light and really pretty gardens. Truly a peaceful, prayerful, not overcrowded space that we enjoyed much more than we anticipated.
The sanctuary mosaic was impressive to say the least!
One of our favorite things to check out at each church is the Stations of the Cross.
These at the Knock Basilica were really detailed and engaging!
We ended our day in Belmullet up in north east of Ireland so we would be ready for a hike early in the morning. As we drove, the terrain became much more mountainous and rural and cell coverage was spotty at best. High temperatures in the low-to-mid 60s were so welcome!
