Outdoor Mass at grotto to Our Lady of Lourdes st St Michael's

Catholic parishioners in Castlepollard will gather on the grounds of St Michael’s Church on Saturday next to mark the Jubilee Year of Hope, to pray for peace and healing in the world, and to mark more than a quarter of a century since the unveiling of a Marian grotto to the rear of the church grounds.

The grotto will be rededicated to Our Lady of Lourdes during an outdoor Mass on the lawn at St Michael’s Church at 5pm on Saturday, August 16, celebrated by Very Rev Fr Patrick Moore, PP, Castlepollard.

The site of prayer, which depicts the Blessed Virgin’s appearance to St Bernadette at Lourdes in 1858, was blessed on Confirmation day in Castlepollard in March 1999 by the then Bishop of Meath, Dr Michael Smith.

Built by Andy Donoghue, Micheál Cassidy (Castlepollard) and the late Pat Finnegan (Fore) with the support of Fr Moore, for years the grotto lay behind a tree-lined garden to the side and rear of the church.

When Storm Éowyn battered Ireland in January, the cyclone took its toll on the trees and rendered them unsafe, requiring their removal. That was quickly brought to the attention of parishioners, who responded in a positive way, and the trees were removed, the ground repaired, and new grass seed sown.

The removal of the trees opened a new view of the grotto and an opportunity to reimagine its surroundings. Work has progressed in recent months to plant flowers along the path to the shrine, accompanied by signage and solar-powered lanterns that light up the path during night-time hours. A concrete platform has been installed for seating, which will be temporarily used for an altar during Saturday’s Mass.

What was conceived in the late 1990s as a potentially expensive project came together at little cost due to the generosity of people from Castlepollard and further afield, who donated money and materials for the project. Statues of Our Lady of Lourdes and St Bernadette were given by a private donor in Italy, while the stone for the grotto’s backdrop and steps – high-quality flagstone from Liscannor, County Clare – was also donated The same is true of the electrical work and lighting used to light the grotto during hours of darkness.

A stone from Lourdes, brought back to Castlepollard by Fr Joseph Gallagher, formerly of Mullingar parish and now PP in Tullamore, is mounted beside the grotto. Meanwhile, much work was needed to elevate raise the ground at the grotto for worshippers, and the soil required for that was also donated by a local builder.

Since its dedication in 1999, the grotto has become a popular location for worshippers, from Castlepollard and those visiting the parish. Its peaceful surrounds are now made all the more so by the beautiful floral arrangements and additional lighting and seating.

The rededication of the grotto will take place during Saturday’s outdoor Mass at 5pm which, in keeping with the healing qualities of the original Marian shrine at Lourdes, will be followed by anointing of the sick, all of whom are welcome. Refreshments will be served in the parish centre afterwards.

The focus of the Mass, aside from the rededication of the grotto and the Jubilee Year of Hope declared by the late Pope Francis, will be to pray for peace in the world and an end to the ongoing violence in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as for spiritual and physical healing.

Local organisations such as the Legion of Mary and parish council, altar society and choir in Castlepollard have been busy preparing for the event. Some of those candidates who received Confirmation on the day the grotto was dedicated in 1999 will be involved in the Mass.

All are welcome, and if any carers would like to attend the Mass accompanying worshippers with additional needs, they are asked to contact the parish office in Castlepollard on 044 9661126.