Scottish Catholic Observer

Now in its 17th year, the busy day on Sunday June 10 saw many gather in St Francis Xavier’s Church for the celebration of Mass, where they were led by Fr Eamonn Sweeney, the parish priest of St Patrick’s Church in Coatbridge, and other members of clergy.

Following Mass, those gathered walked to Carfin Grotto for the recitation of the Rosary.

Among those present were members of the Ancient Order of Hibernian (AOH), who were at both the Mass and the Irish shrine for the Rosary afterwards.

Gathering with them was a young boy from Hamilton, Marcus Dobbie Devine (pictured), aged four-and-a-half. His granddad had been a member of the AOH, but sadly passed away in October 2017.

The congregation gathered at the Grotto’s Irish shrine, which features a statue of St Patrick and 2.5 tonne Mass Rock, where they prayed the Rosary.

The St Patrick statue was unveiled in March 24, 1930 by then-MP for Belfast, Joseph Devlin, along with parish priest of St Patrick’s Church in Dumbarton, Mgr Kelly, before 60,000 people.

The Mass Rock was a gift to the Grotto in 1934 from a Protestant ladowner in Rathriland, Co Down, and stands as a memorial to the tragic days in Ireland’s history, where in Penal times churches were shut and Mass outlawed, and priests had to chose isolated placed to celebrate Mass, often making use of a rock as a altar.

At the shrine there is also an Irish Famine memorial, a Celtic Cross that was unveiled by An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern TD, on June 20, 2001.

It remembers the many social, economic and religious problems in Ireland from 1845-1852, which were worsened by the Potato Famine.

Over one million people died and one million more emigrating from the country, around 100,000 moving to Scotland.

The memorial recalls those who died as a result of the Famine, as well as those who came to Scotland and the ­important contribution they made to the Church over here.