Mass-goers in St Eugene’s Cathedral, Derry, will this weekend (August 28th/29th) hear speakers from the newly-formed Catholic Grandparents Association, as part of an effort to establish branches of the organisation in the Diocese.
Catherine Wiley and Máire Printer from the Catholic Grandparents Association will address five Masses in the Cathedral this weekend, and follow-up meetings to establish branches locally will be held in the coming weeks.
“The Catholic Grandparents Association celebrates the role of Grandparents in the family, and recognise the crucial part they play at this time,” said Catherine, the Association’s founder.
“A grandparent’s vocation never ends. We never stop being grandparents, and often grandparents can have a positive influence in a family, primarily through the wisdom they’ve gained through the years.
“A strong grandparent-grandchild relationship, of which there are so many, is one of unconditional love. Grandparents only ever want what is best for their grandchildren.”
This year’s National Grandparents Pilgrimage will take place in Knock Shrine, Co. Mayo, on Sunday, September 12th, at 3pm.
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
