Mass has been said at ancient mass rocks across the Irish Church’s 26 dioceses as part of a campaign for the renewal of the faith in Ireland through the intercession of the Irish martyrs. The initiative has been spearheaded by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) Ireland in support of persecuted Christians worldwide. According to Aoife Martin of ACN Ireland, the inspiration for the “Revival of the Irish Mass Rocks” campaign came after seeing the images of Fr Gerard Quirke’s Easter Dawn Mass at a mass rock on Achill Island, Co Mayo on Easter Sunday. “I was profoundly moved by the photos and thought wouldn’t it be amazing if we asked a priest in each of the 26 dioceses of Ireland to celebrate Mass at a mass rock in their diocese, thus returning to the sacred places where our ancestors went to worship in secret during penal times and where the Irish martyrs would have celebrated and received the Most Holy Eucharist.” Monsignor Tommy Johnston of Achrony Diocese She paid tribute to those in the past who “sacrificed so much so that we could have the gift of faith today”. “We asked each priest to celebrate each Mass for the same intention – for the renewal of the faith in Ireland, calling on the intercession of our Irish martyrs.”
How ‘Mass rocks’ are renewing the faith in Ireland
How ‘Mass rocks’ are renewing the faith in Ireland
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