Bishop Fintan Monahan, Bishop of Killaloe, will be among twenty priests present in the Skycourt Shopping Centre, Shannon, for the third annual ‘Mercy on the Mall’ day on Friday 8 December next, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
From 1.00pm to 6.00pm, twenty priests from the diocese of Killaloe will be available to shoppers and visitors to Skycourt who wish to avail of the Sacrament of Penance, or, indeed, simply for a blessing or a chat.
The ‘Mercy on The Mall’ first took place in Skycourt Shopping Centre in Shannon in 2015 at the start of the Jubilee Year of Mercy. The day proved so successful, that both management and priests were invited to continue the tradition. The initiative comes from the call of Pope Francis for priests to bring the Gospel to the market place and for priests to make themselves available to people who wish to avail of the Sacrament or to those who wish make a connection with the Church.
Last year, all twenty priests were kept engaged with shoppers throughout the day. One woman who availed of the sacrament described her experience as ‘liberating,’ another visitor remarked that it was ‘a new beginning’.
Priests will be present in different locations in the mall if people wish to engage with them. Seasonal music and songs on the day will be provided by the school choir from Saint Conaire’s Primary School in Shannon.
ENDS
