Join the Pope John Paul II Award annual national pilgrimage to Knock Shrine on Tuesday, 28 March 2023.
POPE JOHN PAUL II AWARD PILGRIMAGE FOR PEACE
All young people in your diocese are invited to attend!
All young people in your diocese are invited to attend for an inspiring day of prayer, participation, catechesis, reflection and celebration.
This invitation is open to all young people between the age of 16-18, Pope John Paul II Award participants past and present along with parish leaders, school principals, teachers and Award leaders. There are some exciting activities and arranged for the day. Award participants will be encouraged to get involved.
Date of pilgrimage: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
There are some exciting activities and special guests arranged for the day. Young people in attendance will be encouraged to participate – singers, musicians, readers, stewards, prompters and audience warm-ups.
Time: 11:00am start. Finishes after Mass at 2:30pm
Location: Knock Shrine, Co. Mayo, Ireland
Map: View location on Google
Details of the pilgrimage to Knock Shrine
This is the Award’s fifth pilgrimage Knock Shrine where Pope Saint John Paul II visited in 1979, Pope Francis visited in 2018 and where over 1.5 million pilgrims visit this special place each year. The Pope John Paul II Award is running in 24 dioceses in Ireland and 3 in Britain. We are looking forward to meeting representatives from every dioceses this year at Knock Shrine.
PILGRIMAGE PROGRAMME:
10:30am: Assemble in the Basilica
11:00am: Welcome ceremony
11:30am: Interactive Stations of the Cross – Jesus’ sacrifice for me in today’s world
Sites of Knock – The Apparition, The Stations, The Mosaic, The Message
12:45pm: Lunch break
2:00pm: Apparition Chapel: Mary, Mother of Jesus – A message of Peace
2:30pm: Celebration of Mass, lead by Award Patron, Bishop Donal McKeown.
Music: Elation Ministries
FAQ’S
Transport, what time should you arrive and when does the day start and end?
Pope John Paul II Award participants should contact their Award Leader in their school or parish for details on transport arrangements. The event programme will begin promptly at 11:00am and finish after 2:30pm Mass. Allow plenty of time of get to the event. It would be best to time your arrival for about 10:15am – 10:45am.
There is an good road network to Knock Shrine with excellent parking and access. View Knock Shrine, Co. Mayo, Ireland on Google
Buses and cars are asked to park in the North Car Park. It is sign posted but it’s easier to follow the signs to Knock House Hotel. Stewards will be on hand to guide attendees to the Basilica. A map of Knock grounds can be downloaded here.
Is the pilgrimage just for Catholics?
This is a Catholic event but of course the day is open to those of all faiths and none – the content has a strong Catholic ethos, and some explicitly Catholic moments of prayer such as Mass, but one of the aims of the day is especially to help those who may not be engaged with faith to be open to a new vision of what a young, vibrant, active and inclusive Church can look like. The speakers are briefed to pitch their content in a way which is accessible to those who may not attend Mass regularly, or at all – in lots of ways this is an ideal event for those “on the edges.” This day at Knock Shrine can raise a lot of questions about faith, and fresh insights, which can be the beginning of a wonderful journey back in the school or parish.
Is Knock Basilica and grounds, accessible for those who need wheelchairs or who have limited mobility?
Yes, Knock Basilica is fully accessible, and we welcome those with any additional needs. All areas in the grounds are accessible, even surfaced and close to one another. There are accessible toilets within the Basilica and on the grounds. The areas in which those using wheelchairs can sit have an excellent view of the Altar and Santuary, but may be separate from their own main parish or school group, especially if that is a large group. Therefore we will ask wheelchair users to nominate a friend or carer to sit with them – this may also require the group to bring an additional leader.
What time does the pilgrimage start and finish?
The doors open at 10:30am, and the event begins at 11:00am. We encourage you to time journeys so that you arrive by 10.30am, to give your group time to make themselves comfortable before taking their seats. There is music playing from 10:30am, so it is worth arriving early, if you can.
The day finishes by 3.40pm, with the Basilica cleared by 4:00pm.
What age range is the Pope John Paul II Award pilgramge to Knock Shrine open to?
This pilgrimage is open to everyone aged 16 to 18. Typically, there are large numbers of TY’s, 4th, 5th and 6th, Year 13 and 14 students.
Bring your lunch!
We ask that everyone brings a packed lunch. There will be a venue available should attendees wish to eat their lunch there. There are also many food outlets in Knock close to the Basilica.
School Uniforms & wrap up warm!
Attendees do not have to wear their school uniforms but if their school wishes them to do so that is fine. We would advise though that everyone wraps up well and be prepared for the elements. Knock can be cold!
Bring your school, parish or diocesan banners
It would be great if each dioceses, parish and school could bring their banners. It’s not often we are able to get so many dioceses, parishes and schools together at once so we want to let everyone know. We hope to have a short procession of all banners into the Basilica.
Any questions about this event
Telephone: 0044 (0)28 7126 4087
Email: admin@thepopejohnpauliiaward.com
Thank you to the Knights of Columbanus for supporting this event.
Follow and Share the Pope John Paul II Award
Follow the Award on our social platforms below. Share your pictures and stories. Please include the #JP2Award hashtag.
Pope John Paul II’s visit to Knock Shrine
Pope Saint John Paul II visited Knock Shrine in 1979. His visit to Ireland from Saturday, 29th September to Monday, 1st October was the first visit by a pope to Ireland.
On Sunday morning, 30th September he celebrated a Youth Mass for 300,000 at Ballybrit racecourse in Galway. It was here that the Pope uttered perhaps the most memorable line of his visit: “Young people of Ireland, I love you”. That afternoon, he travelled to Knock Shrine which he described as “the goal of my journey to Ireland”. The outdoor Mass at the Shrine was attended by 450,000. [source: wikipedia.org]
Pope Francis’ visit to Knock Shrine
Pope Francis made a pilgrimage to Knock Shrine on Sunday, 26 August 2018.
The Holy Father arrived at Knock Shrine at 9.45am to pray for families from around the world and the fruits of WMOF2018. He did a circuit in the pope mobile and prayed the Angelus at the Apparition Chapel before departing from Knock Shrine at 11.15am.
History of Knock
The Story of Knock began on the 21st August 1879, when, at approximately 8 o’clock in the evening, fifteen people from the village of Knock in Co. Mayo, witnessed an Apparition of Our Lady, St. Joseph, St. John the Evangelist, a Lamb and a cross on an altar at the gable wall of the Parish Church. The witnesses watched the Apparition in the pouring rain for 2 hours, reciting the Rosary. Although they themselves were saturated, not a single drop of rain fell on the gable or vision. There were fifteen official witnesses to the Apparition, most of whom were from the village of Knock and surrounding areas and ranged in age from just 5 years old to 74 years old.