Diocese of Raphoe Pilgrimage to Knock Shrine

What to Expect

The Diocese of Raphoe’s annual pilgrimage to Knock Shrine takes place on Saturday 15 August 2026, timed to coincide with the National Novena to Our Lady of Knock, the shrine’s busiest and most significant period of the pilgrimage year. Bishop Niall Coll leads the Donegal delegation under the theme “Sheltered in God’s Love.” The published programme opens with an outdoor rosary at 2pm, followed by the anointing of the sick in the Basilica at 2.30pm, and a novena Mass at 3pm. Confessions are available throughout the day for pilgrims travelling in from parishes right across County Donegal, and the diocese has produced a dedicated novena prayer leaflet for those attending.

This is one of the fixed dates on the Raphoe diocesan calendar each August, drawing parishioners of all ages, including those on organised coach trips from individual parishes and families making their own way down. Because it falls within the National Novena, pilgrims can expect the shrine grounds to be busier than on an ordinary visiting day, with extra clergy on hand for confessions and additional stewarding around the Basilica.

Good to Know

This is a day pilgrimage, so most parishioners travel down and back on the same day, though there is no single fixed departure point organised centrally by the diocese, individual Donegal parishes typically arrange their own coach or car transport for parishioners who want to travel as a group. The event itself is free to attend; pilgrims cover only their own travel and any personal expenses at the shrine, such as food or shop purchases. A novena prayer leaflet and further pilgrimage details are available as downloadable PDFs from the diocesan website, and the diocesan office can answer queries about parish-level travel arrangements by phone or email. This is an annual fixture on the Raphoe diocesan calendar, held in mid-August each year to align with the National Novena.

Getting There

Knock Shrine is in County Mayo, roughly a two-and-a-half hour drive from Letterkenny via the N15 and N17, so most Donegal pilgrims either car-share or join a parish coach rather than travelling independently. Coach transport is commonly arranged through individual Donegal parishes rather than centrally by the diocese, so anyone hoping to join a group should check with their own parish office in the weeks beforehand for seat availability and pick-up points. Pilgrims travelling independently by car should allow extra time on the day given the volume of traffic converging on the shrine during the National Novena.