A walk along the Atlantic coast with Brother Barry and two members of the Alexian community in Hungary, Brother Leó and Brother Alexius.

On August 21, 1879, in the small village of Knock in Northern Ireland, an apparition occurred when the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist appeared at the village church. In the more than 100 years since then, Knock has become the most visited pilgrimage site in Europe, along with Fatima and Lourdes, with one and a half million pilgrims visiting every year.  

The photos were taken at the museum showcasing life in the village, which has added new exhibits this year.

Almighty God, we thank you that the weekend has arrived, and we are grateful for all the blessings we have received this week. Please bless this weekend so that we may find moments of peace and renewal. Grant us strength and wisdom so that we may spend this special time in love and joy. We thank you for all the blessings you have bestowed upon us, and we ask you to guide us in the days ahead. Grant us the courage to let the worries of the week melt away and to find renewal in the weekend. Please protect our loved ones and help us to live each moment with an open heart and soul. We thank you for all Your goodness and blessings. Amen.

Brother Dermot and Brother Leo in front of the statue of Virgin Mary in the Church of the Holy Spirit in Hungary, which captures the moment of the Angelical salutation.  The sculpture is the work of Tibor Rieger, a Kossuth Prize-winning (the highest Hungarian state award for the cultivation of Hungarian culture) sculptor, who is 86 years old this year and whose sculptures can be found all over the country, such as the statue of St. George the Dragon Slayer in the main street of Győr, or the statue of St. Alexius (in Hungarian "Elek") in the monastery of the Alexian Mission in Hungary, the only outdoor statue of the saint in Hungary. 

 

Gergely Czuczor and Ányos Jedlik, former teachers, monks and inventors at the Benedictine
secondary school in Győr. Jedlik is credited with the patent for the industrial production of soda water

 

 Brother Barry in front of the St George's Well in the main street of Győr

 

Statue of Saint Alexius in the inner courtyard of the Alexian Monastery in Hungary