Covid-19: Knock Novena cancelled after Delta variant concerns

The Knock National Novena has been cancelled for the second year in a row due to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus Delta variant in Ireland.

It is one of the most biggest events in the Irish Catholic Church's calendar.

The annual novena of prayer, which was due to take place at Knock Shrine in County Mayo from 14 to 22 August, has been postponed until later this year.

Last year it was cancelled for the first time since 1977 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Father Richard Gibbons, the parish priest and rector of Knock Shrine, said the decision to postpone it this year was taken in the "interest of the health and safety of our pilgrims and staff".

He said that given the recent concern from government and health agencies regarding the Delta variant, the "responsible course of action" was to postpone the novena.

"It is vital that we allow the national vaccination programme to proceed across all age groups," he said.

"Once we can safely gather again at Knock Shrine a full programme will be announced for the novena to take place later in the year."

About 450,000 people visited Knock to see Pope John Paul II mark the shrine's centenary in 1979

He said the Marian Shrine would remain open to the public and pilgrims for daily Mass with restricted capacity at Knock Basilica.

Knock is a well-known place of Catholic pilgrimage in County Mayo in the west of Ireland.

An estimated 1.5 million pilgrims from across Ireland and around the world visit the shrine every year to pray.

Previous pilgrims to Knock have included the late Pope John Paul II.

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The shrine was established in 1879 when 15 villagers reported an apparition of the mother of Jesus and other saints.

The witnesses said the Virgin Mary, St Joseph and St John the Evangelist appeared before them in pouring rain for about two hours.

The apparition included a cross on an altar and a lamb - a Catholic symbol of Christ.

Pope Francis officially recognised Knock as an International Marian Shrine through the Pontifical Council for New Evangelisation in March 2021.