A 'festival of faith' in a small parish in the west of Ireland has attracted record numbers. The annual event, held in Our Lady's Church, Clonfert, ran throughout the month of May, and was opened and closed by Bishop John Kirby.
Under the watchful gaze of the famous Lady of Clonfert statue, thousands of faithful, young and old, attended the month-long series of devotions and daily talks from no less than 28 priests.
A spokesman for the parish said there had been a notable increase in numbers this year.
While perhaps due to these recessionary times, the spokesman pointed out that Clonfert church is ''possibly the only church in Ireland maintaining 31 consecutive days of devotion and prayer''.
Additionally, he said, ''the church is well known as being conducive to prayer and reflection. It is a credit to the volunteers who keep the church filled with colour and flowers all year round''.
Our Lady of Clonfert dates back to the 14th century and is believed to have originated in one of the religious houses of Clonfert.
Hidden in a hollow tree during the years of Cromwellian persecution, the wooden statue survived to be processed in the Eurcharistic Congress in Dublin in 1932.
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