Feast of St. Francis Celebrated in Knock - A Joyful Evening in the Apparition Chapel

This evening, on the evening of his feast, we gathered as a Franciscan family to celebrate our Holy Father St. Francis of Assisi in the most sacred place in Knock - the Apparition Chapel. At the very altar where Our Lady, St. Joseph, St. John the Evangelist and the Lamb of God appeared to the fifteen witnesses on that wet evening in 1879, we came together to honour the little poor man of Assisi. We were blessed with a full chapel for our celebration. Br. Matthew Clerkin OFM Cap., Guardian of our Knock Capuchin Friary, was the main celebrant, and Br. Seán Kelly OFM Cap. preached for the occasion and supported by Brothers Godfrey Pereira and John Wright who make up our Capuchin presence in Knock Shrine. It was a truly Franciscan celebration - simple, joyful, prayerful, and full of brotherhood and sisterhood. The atmosphere was lifted beautifully by the music and singing provided by our friends from the local Cenacolo Community. Their presence and their singing added so much heart to the liturgy - we are so grateful to them. After Mass, the celebration continued in true Franciscan fraternity. We shared a fraternal supper together with the Cenacolo community and friends - with plenty of pizza and chips to go around! It was a time of great joy, laughter and fraternity. It was a lovely evening and a perfect way to honour our father St. Francis - here in Knock, at the altar of the Apparition, where heaven touched earth. May St. Francis continue to inspire us to live the Gospel simply, joyfully, and with love for all creation. Pax et Bonum! The Capuchin Friars, Knock