Celebrating its 40th year and taking place from Monday February 5 to Tuesday February 13, 2024, the annual Solemn Novena nine-day Festival of Faith will invite, welcome and embrace the people of Galway and beyond to leave down the worries and cares of life and to worship, sing, pray and give praise to God and His blessed Mother, Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
In welcoming the 2024 Novena, Msgr Peter Rabbitte said, they are delighted to “invite and welcome people of our city and our friends and neighbours from farther afield to join us this February as we cast off the woes and worries of winter to welcome the spring, to welcome the joy, peace and hope that Christ offers.”
This year’s theme is a quote from Pope Francis; “... but above all, do not lose hope”, and is significant in the current global context. It is planned to have three Novena sessions on weekends at 11am, 1.10pm, and 7.30pm. Sunday will have four Novena sessions at 10.30am, 12.30pm, 3pm and 6pm.
Speakers this year include; Damien Richardson who strives every day to overcome addiction; Geraldine Mullan who lives with the shattering grief that comes with the tragic death of her husband and two children; Redemptorist priest Fr Brendan Callanan who ministered in South America and in Ireland; the well-known author Fr Vincent Sherlock who ministers in Tubbercurry; Ciara Ferry from Donegal who, for many years, has worked in youth ministry and catechetics; Paul Keogh, a school principal with significant expertise and experience and experience in music ministry; Bishop Michael Duignan will speak on the theme, “It is not possible to go backwards. We must go forward. Always forward”; Suzanne Mulligan, a Moral Theology Lecturer at St Patrick’s Pontifical University, Maynooth; The Dominican, Fr John Harris, the Prior Provincial of his order here in Ireland will speak on the transformative power of mercy.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be celebrated before and after each session and The Sacrament of the Sick will be celebrated on Saturday 10 during the 11am Mass. Each weekday evening there will a guided, candlelit Holy Hour, at which people of all ages and faith-background will be made welcome.
The last Mass each day will be live-streamed on www.galwaycathedral.ie, YouTube and Facebook.
