A city couple, who set up a grotto at the end of their road, are inviting people to make time for prayer during May, which is traditionally the month of the rosary.
Michael and Margaret Duignan, who erected the grotto 40 years ago in honour of Our Lady at the end of Elm Park Road in Greenfields, Newcastle, are inviting people to attend the rosary which will be recited there at 7pm each evening next month. An open-air Mass is celebrated there on the last evening in May. Canon Peter Rabbitte, the parish priest of the Galway Cathedral, will be the celebrant this year.
Michael decided to build the shrine after his first trip to Lourdes. “I was inspired to erect the grotto, it was not my choice but Our Lady’s. I knew the grotto at Lourdes and modelled it on that.” The late Sr Carmel Hely, a nurse at the then regional hospital, who died recently, gave him the statue of Our Lady to place in the grotto.
Since then, a steady stream of people from all over the city have been visiting this holy place, particularly during May, but also throughout the year. The Duignans say they come from all walks of life, from students studying for college examinations to people seeking support and strength to cope with life’s challenges.
“A lot of children used to come here but they have grown up and gone now,” says Michael. “The first year we had 30 to 35 people, on average we would have 18 to 20 people each evening. 2020 was the first time we didn’t have it [the rosary] due to Covid. In 2021, we started back the rosary again but we didn’t have the Mass that year. One night 16 people attended the rosary, the next night there were 24. There were 120 people at our Mass last year. Some people come back year after year. There are usually more women than men and it’s mostly older people.”
The Duignans are firm believers in the power of the rosary and say it brings people peace, happiness, and strength. “Our Lady says that anyone who says the rosary, their request will be granted. She said that to St Dominic. Our Lady will intercede on your behalf. The rosary is very powerful, it has changed so many people’s lives.
“Basically, [in the rosary] you are going through the life of Jesus Christ, you see the whole thing, it’s a mini version. I know of a survey in the States which says that people with religion are far happier than those without it. When something happens to people, such as their parents having cancer or a stroke, they return to prayer. They come with their petitions and concerns.”
The couple say there is a lot of devotion to the rosary despite the fall off in attendance in churches. “People come here year after year. Quite a few people used to come from Corrib Park. In 2021, they started their own rosary but 10 to 12 of them would still come up for our Mass on the last day in May.”
