Many parish communities gather each year to mark the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady on August 15th. They meet at roadside grottos, at shrines, Mass rocks and holy wells.

This year saw the 75th annual Mass and devotions at the Holy Rosary Shrine on the Lee Road in Cork. Bishop Fintan Gavin was the principal concelbrant.

In his homily, Bishop Fintan noted that many of those who gathered and prayed at the grotto in the early years have long since gone home to God.

“Others continued the tradition. Parents brought children; grandparents brought grandchildren. People have come quietly to pray the Rosary and to entrust their lives and the lives of those they loved to God through the intercession of Mary.”

One of the prayers at the Mass describes Mary as “a sign of sure hope and comfort to your pilgrim people.”

“Perhaps we particularly need that hope today. The Church in Ireland and here in Cork and Ross is very different from the Church in which these devotions began 75 years ago. We are living through a time of great change, but also a time of new possibility. We cannot simply recreate the Church of the past, nor are we called to do so. We are called to discover how the Lord is asking us to live and share the Gospel today.”

Bishop Fintan Gavin withy concelebrating priests, L to R., Fr Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap., Fr Aidan Vaughan OFm Cap, Fr Tijo John, Fr Ken Cooney SMA, Fr Frasad Rad, Fr Dermot Lynch OFM Cap, Fr Declan Mansfield and Fr. Sean O’Sullivan. . Photo: Tony O’Connell.

Last year, 53 young adults from the Diocese of Cork and Ross travelled to Rome to take part in the Jubilee of Youth.

It was an unforgettable week of faith, friendship, prayer, and celebration, as they joined thousands of young people from around the world in this special Jubilee event.

Watch some of the highlights from their pilgrimage as Stephen and Ella reminisce about their experience of the Jubilee of Youth.

Planning is now beginning for World Youth Day in South Korea 2027.If you are interested in joining this exciting pilgrimage, or would like to find out more, please email youthministry@corkandross.org.

The 100th Cork Eucharistic Procession was featured on RTÉ Nationwide last night, showcasing this year's historic celebration and the faith of the thousands who took part.

The programme highlighted the tradition of the Eucharistic Procession, which was first established in 1926 as a prayer for peace and reconciliation following the War of Independence and Civil War. One hundred years later, the procession continues to be a powerful public witness of faith in the heart of Cork.

If you missed the broadcast, or would like to watch it again, you can catch it on the RTÉ Player here:

RTÉ Nationwide

The 100th Anniversary of the Cork Eucharistic Procession on June 7th 2026.

Eucharistic Procession in Cork on Sunday, June 7. Pic: Brian Lougheed

Cork's Eucharistic Process features on Nationwide on RTE Television on Wed Aug 5th.

This was the 100th year of the procession with the Blessed Sacrament through the streets of Cork.

The procession was held on June 7th and even though the rain poured down thousands attended and took part.

A Nationwide crew also attended and the programme on Wednesday August 5th will feature interviews with some of the organisers and some people who took part. 

The Eucharistic Procession in Cork was established in 1926 to pray for peace and reconciliation following the War of Independence and Civil War, and has been going ever since with the Blessed Sacrament being born by the bishop.

The Nationwide programme will also be on the RTE Player.

We have just a couple of spaces left for young adults on our Lourdes pilgrimage.

This is a fantastic opportunity for young adults to assist pilgrims in need, and deepen their faith by experiencing the unique spirituality of Lourdes.

Young Adult Helpers play an important role in the pilgrimage, supporting pilgrims who need assistance, both in the hospital and by accompanying them to liturgies and other pilgrimage events. They also help with various aspects of the pilgrimage, including supporting and helping to animate the liturgies

This year’s pilgrimage takes place from Friday 18th - Wednesday 23rd September 2026.

If you're aged between 18-30 and interested in coming to Lourdes as a helper, contact Sheila at youthministry@corkandross.org or call 021 430 1717.

Young Adult Helpers in Lourdes last year