Lourdes Pilgrims Support Missions

Posted on 20 October 2012

Each year during the Diocesan pilgrimages to Lourdes in June and in the autumn, pilgrims who request Masses to be offered are invited to participate in the nominated pilgrimage charity of the year.

Each priest on pilgrimage offers Mass for the intentions requested and all the offerings are given to the nominated Missionary appeal. This year the Mutare Diocese in Zimbabwe was the beneficiary. This is the Diocese that the Killaloe Diocese established a Missionary link in 1983 when the late Canon John Shalloo, Fr Tony Cahir and Fr Pat O’Neill were the first volunteer priests to serve in Mutare. In the intervening years 11 Killaloe Priests served on this mission until 2004 when  Fr Michael Cooney was recalled to service in Killaloe Diocese.

Since 2009 the Lourdes pilgrims have raised over €70,000 which has been shared with our Killaloe priests missions in Ecuador and Peru, with the Christian Brothers Mission in East Africa and with the Mercy Sisters in Killaloe Diocese who work in Kenya.

Our picture shows Mary Freeman Secretary of Killaoe Diocese Pilgrimage Committee presenting Fr Tony Cahir Birr with a cheque for €16,000 for use in Mutare Diocese Zimbabwe