Grandparents and their families from all over the Archdiocese of Tuam are expected to converge on Westport for a special Grandparents Day on Monday, July 26th, the feast day of the grandparents of Jesus.
The ecumenical service in Westport Church is the brainchild of the local branch of the Catholic Grandparents Association.
“July 26th is the feast day of St Joachim and St Anne, the grandparents of Jesus, and we will mark the day with this very special service,” said Máire Printer of the Catholic Grandparents Association.
“All generations are welcome to attend the event, which will feature harpists, flautists, and various other musicians. There will be a scene to honour the grandparents of Jesus, and Mary Connolly, the Diocesan Liturgist, is creating a special liturgy appropriate to the occasion.”
Fr Francis Mitchell, PP, Westport, will lead the service, which will start at 5pm, and each parish in the archdiocese has been invited to send along two representatives.
According to Máire, the Catholic Grandparents Association “supports grandparents in their own faith and helps them address sensitive issues regarding faith in these days of broken and fragmented families.”
The Association now has branches in Castlebar, Knock, Roscommon, Athenry, Tuam, and Westport, with plans to set up more in the weeks and months ahead. Further details can be obtained by contacting the Association’s Westport office on 098 24877.
This year’s National Grandparents Pilgrimage will take place in Knock Shrine, Co. Mayo, on Sunday, September 12th, at 2pm.
Chief celebrant will be Bishop John McAreavey, Bishop of Dromore, and the keynote speaker will be Breda O’Brien, the well-known Irish Times columnist and teacher.
Tyrone girl Chloe Coyle, a popular winner of this year’s Ireland’s Got Talent tv show, has agreed to sing at the Mass, while former Eurovision winner Dana, her mentor on the tv programme, will also perform. Michael English, a Kildare singer who has a huge following around Ireland, will also sing for what is expected to be a packed Basilica at Knock Shrine.
Further details are available on www.CatholicGrandparentsAssociation.com.
About the Catholic Grandparents Association
- Archbishop Michael Neary, Archbishop of Tuam is Patron
- The Association was born out of the National Grandparents Pilgrimage, established by grandmother Catherine Wiley in 2007.
- One of the aims of the Catholic Grandparents Association is to celebrate the important role grandparents play in the lives of their grandchildren.
- In 2009, over 14,000 people attended the formation of the Catholic Grandparents Association
- Further information on the National Grandparents Pilgrimage is available on www.CatholicGrandparentsAssociation.com
