Wednesday, August 13^th

Life without a home – Restoring Hope

Fr Kevin Kiernan, OFM Cap

3pm & 8pm

Fr. Kevin Kiernan OFM Cap is the Capuchin Director of the Capuchin Day Centre, Guardian of the Capuchin Friary of St. Mary of the Angels in Church Street, and sits on the Provincial Council of the Capuchin Franciscan Province of Ireland.

Fr. Kevin is a trained psychotherapist and his pastoral ministry has included work in friaries, parishes and hospitals across the country alongside direct support to refugees and asylum seekers in collaboration with the SMA Fathers.

Synod: Hope for the Church?

Miriam Wijlens

3pm & 8pm

Myriam Wijlens is a Dutch theologian and professor of canon law at the University of Erfurt (Germany). She served on the Coordinating Committee of the Synod on Synodality in Rome and participated in its sessions in 2023 and 2024. She is a former member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and serves on the international dialogue of Anglican and Roman Catholics.

By a lonely Prison Wall

Ita Lohan

3pm & 8pm

After working for 5 years in Bath and then London with people who were homeless and active in addiction, Ita Lohan moved back to Ireland in November 2004. On her return she studied Theology and the Catechism of the Catholic Church which lead her to her work as a chaplain, firstly in Castlerea prison and currently  in Loughan House open centre.

Mary, Mother of the seeds of hope

Msgr  Kevin Gillespie and Elaine Patton

3pm

Monsignor Kevin Gillespie serves as Diocesan administrator of the Diocese of Raphoe. A native of Gaoth Dobhair, Co. Donegal, Monsignor Gillespie is also Administrator of St. Eunan’s Cathedral, Letterkenny. He is joined by Elaine Patton, who is actively involved in youth ministry in the Diocese of Raphoe.

My journey of faith in the Church today

Julian Drapiewski

8pm

Rev. Julian Drapiewski is a permanent deacon of Archdiocese of Tuam. He is a husband, and a father of five children. Professionally he is a chartered engineer and entrepreneur. Julian moved to Ireland, with his wife in 2004.

Sunday, 17^th August: Family Day

Family: The first place of accompaniment

Bishop Kevin Doran

3pm

Bishop Kevin Doran is Bishop of Elphin and Achonry. He serves as Chairperson of the Council for Life of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference. He is also Chair of the Committee for Theology and a member of the Council for Justice and Peace and the Council for Doctrine. He represents the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference at the Anscombe Bioethics Centre (Oxford) and is the liaison between the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference and Irish pro-life groups.

Prayer: A Silent Doorway To Hope

John Farrelly

8pm

John Farrelly is Prayer Guidance Coordinator at Knock Shrine, where he also leads the Spiritual Direction Ministry. He writes The Weekly Witness, a contemplative reflection rooted in scripture and silence. A husband, father, and grandfather, he also works as a Special Needs Assistant in a primary school.

Monday, 18^th  August

3pm & 8pm: Beyond the Headlines

Eileen Dunne

3pm & 8pm

For more than 40 years Eileen Dunne worked in RTE, Ireland’s national broadcaster, first in radio and then in the Newsroom where as a news anchor she got to cover all the big stories of the day, including two conclaves, the Eucharistic Congress in 2012 and the visit of Pope Francis to Knock in 2018. She also served as International President of the Association of European Journalists between 2010 and 2014.

“Our Place in the Garden: Living with Humility in Creation”

Fr Niall Leahy SJ

3pm & 8pm

Fr Niall Leahy SJ,  a native of Blackrock, Co. Louth is inspired by the people who are working for a socially and ecologically embedded economy. He is currently Advocate for Localism at the  Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice, a social justice non-profit that advocates to change policy and opinion on issues including environmental justice, housing and homelessness, economic justice and penal policy. Fr. Niall is based at Gardiner Street Parish in Dublin.

Wednesday, 20^th  August

Be not afraid: Finding peace in illness

Breda Casserly

3pm & 8pm

Breda Casserly is a former healthcare Chaplain in the Galway Hospice. She is a graduate of Galway University and All Hallows College, Dublin, with postgraduate  degrees in Pastoral Theology and Cross Professional Supervision. She is the author of the best-selling book ‘Lessons from a Bedside’. She lives in Oranmore, Galway.

Thursday, 21^st  August: Anniversary of the Apparition

Living Faith: How Young People Are Shaping the Future

Claire Kilroy

3pm

Claire Kilroy, a native of Galway,  is a seconded Deputy Principal working in Le Chéile Schools Trust. She joined Le Chéile in January 2022 as Ethos Leadership Officer and progressed to Head of School Services of the Trust in July 2024. Claire has been appointed as CEO of Association of Patrons and Trustees of Catholic Schools starting in September 1^st 2025

Celebration of the anniversary of the Knock Apparition 

Hope is faith with its sleeves rolled up

Fr Richard Gibbons

8pm

Fr. Richard Gibbons, PP has served as parish priest and Rector of Knock Shrine since 2012.  Fr. Richard will lead this special evening as we gather to celebrate the anniversary of the Knock Apparition.  The evening’s celebrations will follow the ‘Witness Walk’, as we walk in the footsteps of  the Apparition Witnesses as they made their way to the Parish Church on that wet Thursday evening on the 21^st of August 1879. The evening ceremony in Knock Basilica will commence with a commemoration of each of the Witnesses.