Anointing Fire Catholic Ministry - Afternoon of Healing

What to Expect

The Anointing Fire Catholic Ministry brings its “Afternoon of Healing” to the Church of the Holy Rosary in Castlebar on Sunday 16 August, running from 1:15pm to 4pm. The service is led by Colin McGurnaghan from Co. Antrim and follows the ministry’s usual format: the Rosary, a period of Praise and Worship, one or more talks on faith and healing, Eucharistic Adoration, and individual one-to-one prayer for those who wish to come forward. It is a devotional afternoon rather than a standard Mass, aimed at parishioners and visitors seeking prayer for physical, emotional or spiritual healing. The event was announced through the Castlebar Parish newsletter alongside the parish’s other Assumption-week notices, and forms part of a wider pattern of visiting healing ministries holding afternoon services in parish churches around the country.

The same weekend, the parish is also marking the National Novena to Our Lady of Knock and the Feast of the Assumption, so the Church of the Holy Rosary is likely to be busier than usual, with regular Mass times running alongside this separate afternoon devotion. The Afternoon of Healing is open to the whole parish community rather than any particular group, and organisers frame it as an opportunity for quiet, personal prayer as much as a communal service - people are free to stay for the full three-hour block or to come and go as suits them, joining in whichever part of the programme they find most helpful.

Good to Know

• Date and time: Sunday 16 August 2026, 1:15pm to 4:00pm
• Venue: Church of the Holy Rosary, Castlebar, Co. Mayo
• Price: Free, all welcome, no booking mentioned
• Format: Rosary, Praise and Worship, talks, Eucharistic Adoration and one-to-one prayer
• This is a one-off visiting ministry event, not a recurring parish fixture; check the Castlebar Parish newsletter for any future dates
• Confirm exact timing with the parish office (094 902 1844) before travelling, as visiting ministry events can occasionally shift
• Falls on the same weekend as the parish’s Assumption and Knock Novena notices, so the church may be busier than a typical Sunday

Getting There

The Church of the Holy Rosary is Castlebar’s main parish church, in the centre of the county town, within walking distance of the bus station and town-centre car parks. Castlebar is well served by Bus Eireann routes from Dublin, Galway and Westport, and sits on the Western Rail Corridor line to Ballina. Visitors travelling from further afield can fly into Ireland West Airport Knock, roughly 30 minutes’ drive away, with car hire and taxis available at the terminal.