Grandparents have always been special but a new organisation founded to highlight the importance of the third generation to upcoming generations is reminding people just how special grannies and grandads really are.
As part of a busy schedule making grandparents more visible in the community, the Catholic Grandparents’ Association, founded by Castlebar native Catherine Wiley (Denning ), is organising special celebratory Masses around Ireland in association with the various parishes.
This week it was the turn of Westport when a very special atmosphere settled on St Mary’s Church at a Mass on Monday evening last, at which more than 400 grandparents and family members gathered to celebrate the feast day of the grandparents of Jesus.
“We had great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, and children at the service and there was a very special atmosphere throughout. A special liturgy was prepared by the Tuam diocesan liturgist Mary Connolly and this was simply beautiful,” said Máire Printer of the Catholic Grandparents’ Association, of which Archbishop Michael Neary of Tuam Diocese is patron.
Fr Francis Mitchell, Adm, Westport, led the service, while Catherine Wiley, founder of the National Grandparents’ Pilgrimage and the Catholic Grandparents’ Association, addressed the gathering.
“The Catholic Grandparents’ Association is really starting to make its presence felt in the Church. Over the past few days alone we have had grandparents’ Masses in Castlebar and Dublin, and I also attended the UK National Grandparents’ Pilgrimage in the Shrine of Our Lady, Walsingham,” said Ms Wiley.
“The reaction we are getting from grandparents is that they appreciate the support they get from being members of the association, and that they also take seriously their role of transmitting the faith to their grandchildren.”
This year’s National Grandparents’ Pilgrimage will take place in Knock Shrine on Sunday September 12 at 2pm.
Chief celebrant will be Bishop John McAreavey, Bishop of Dromore, with singing performances from Eurovision winner Dana and Michael English, for what is expected to be a packed Basilica at Knock Shrine.
Further details on www.CatholicGrandparentsAssociation.com
