A national Eucharistic Congress will be held in Knock, Ireland, on Sept. 26-27.
The Irish bishops’ conference announced the congress as an opportunity to reflect on the fruits of the 50th International Eucharistic Congress, which was held in Dublin in 2012, and as a spiritual preparation for the next International Congress, scheduled to take place in Cebu, Philippines, in January 2016.
The last National Eucharistic Congress in Ireland was celebrated at the Marian Shrine in Knock during June 2011 and it marked the one year countdown to the ‘50th International Congress 2012’ in Dublin.
The story of the Knock shrine began on Aug. 21, 1879, when Our Lady, Saint Joseph and Saint John the Evangelist appeared at the south gable of Knock Parish Church. This miraculous apparition was witnessed by 15 people, young and old. Knock is an internationally recognised Marian Shrine and was visited by Saint John Paul II as part of his 1979 papal pilgrimage to Ireland.
