Great crowds attend Holycross Abbey for the visit of St Bernadette relics

The once-in-a-lifetime event at Holycross Abbey last week will never be forgotten by many.  Crowds converged on the Tipperary village as the relics of St Bernadette visited the Abbey on Thursday the 18th and Friday the 19th of September. 

The history of religion in the parish goes way back with a permanent display of the Relic of the True Cross part of Abbey life.

"Everything went so well," Holycross and Ballycahill Parish Priest Very Rev. Celsus Tierney said about what was a very busy two weeks in the parish. 

Speaking at the Parochial House he praised all those who gave of their time to make sure everything went smoothly with the visit of the relics and also the recent Novena. 

“We had a lot of visitors in recent times and all the planning was already in place following on from our Novena so it has been a great success overall,” he said as the Abbey shone in the bright sunlight.

 The weather was great as the crowds converged when the relics arrived in Holycross as part of a tour of the country. 

The relics arrived firstly to Knock Airport on the 4th of September and then proceeded to tour through Galway and Clonfert diocese, Killaloe, Limerick, Kerry, Cloyne as well as  Waterford and Lismore ahead of the arrival in the Cashel and Emly Diocese.  

The annual Holycross Solemn Novena had just ended so all the necessary stewards, parking facilities, staff and volunteers were in place to ensure everything ran smoothly. 

Nurses, part of the Cashel and Emly Archdiocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes, were on hand to ensure everything went well in the Abbey across the two days. 

They were constantly on hand helping and ensuring everything ran smoothly.

The glass case containing the relics was in front of the altar and contained  rib, muscle and hair. From Thursday morning until their departure on Friday, huge numbers attended. 

A lot of  those present brought along religious objects as well as keys, prayer books, glasses, bibles and much more to the relics for blessing.

 The crowds continued across the day on Thursday and by evening, with the sun setting by the Abbey, numbers had grown even greater. 

Fr Jimmy Donnelly, the PP of Doon led the rosary.

 By evening time the Abbey was packed to capacity with Mass delayed to allow more pilgrims to the relics. 

The crowds continued long into the night with many of the faithful having attended the Solemn Novena as well over the previous nine days of the Novena. 

On Friday morning last the Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, Dr Kieran O’Reilly, celebrated Mass. 

He also shared some of the petitions included by the faithful over the previous days to a packed Abbey.

Everyone who attended was grateful to be part of the wonderful occasion. At the Mass Fr Joe Tynan, Parish Priest in Knocklong, gave the homily. 

The sense of occasion was great as many had a coffee in the fantastic café by the Abbey, others purchased rosary beads, religious objects, books and enjoyed the occasion.  

 With the sun shining there was a wonderful atmosphere in Holycross. 

“It was all great and so many people contributed to make it a success,” said Fr Celsus Tierney as the Abbey looked fantastic in the September sun. 

The relics of St Bernadette continued on to Ossory after leaving Holycross Abbey.

 Bernadette Soubirous was born in Lourdes, a small town by the Pyrenees Mountains in southern France back in 1844. 

At the age of fourteen, in 1858, she saw the Virgin Mary many times at the Grotto of Massabielle then the Apparitions of Lourdes were authenticated by the Bishop of Tarbes in 1866.

Thousands upon thousands from Ireland and around the world visit Lourdes each year and many miracles have been attributed to St. Bernadette. 

Across Ireland the Relics have been greeted with  large numbers attending  vigils and mass.

 Overall the visit has been a huge success in the Premier County.