A four week on-line introduction to Magnifica humanitas, Pope Leo's letter about artificial intelligence, is being offered by the Tuam and Killala dioceses.
Dates: 3, 10, 17 and 24 November 2026
Times: 7:30 - 9pm
Venue: On-line - register to get the link / meeting-invitation
No experience is necessary: The series is open to everyone, and is especially suitable for people who have never read a papal encyclical (ie a letter from the Pope) before.
To register, contact Niamh by phone 087 283 8769 or by emailing pastoral@tuamarchdiocese.org
A National Praise Day regional event is being held in Galway city:
Date Saturday 31 October, 2026
Time: 5pm (doors open 4:30pm
Venue: Connacht Hotel, Dublin Road
Cost: Free - but you are asked to book in advance for the Dublin event.
Booking: Children
Contact: Pastor Larry Ovie, phone 089 959 8112
National Praise Day is an joint celebration organised by a group of participating (mostly evangelical) churches in Ireland, which aims to shine a light on every sign of darkness in the land. It is an evening of joy and light, fun and divine praise in an atmosphere, providing an alternative to the darkness of Halloween.
The Galway Civic Trust are running a guided walking tour of selected Galway city churches and religious sites in autumn / winter 2026.
The tour looks at the history, architecture, art, and spirituality preserved within the places of worship in the city (primarily the city centre).
Guide: Ian Brophy
Date: Thursdays at 2pm,
Time: 2 PM
Meet at: Hall of the Red Earl, Druid Lane, Galway
Length: Approx 2 hours
Cost: Free, but donations to the Trust are welcome.
Bookings: On the TickeTailor website
Our Lady Queen of the Travellers Missionary devotional afternoon, focusing on faith, healing and hope is being held:
Date: Saturday 17 October 2026
Location: Galway Cathedral
Time: 1pm to 4:30pm.
The event includes Mass, veneration of relics including St Charbel, Mother Theresa and Padre Pio, and a talk by Liam Stewart of Heal the Hurt Ministry
Heal the Hurt Ministry, is faith-based charity founded in 2017 by Catholic psychotherapist and recovered addct, Liam Stewart and his wife, to help individuals and families dealing with drug and alcohol misuse.
A National Conference to promote and deepen the the First Saturdays devotion is being held:
Location: Knock Shrine
Date: Saturday, 28 November 2026, starting at 10am
The programme includes Eucharistic Adoration and Confession, talks and testimony, the Rosary, Holy Mass, meditation and Eucharistic Healing.
The First Saturday's devotion is based on teaching and revelations at Fatima, and promoted in Co Galway by Emmanuel House of Prayer. More information about it is available on the Irish First Saturdays website.
Bishop Fintan Monahan (Bishop of Killaloe, theologian and former teacher at St Jarleth's Tuam) is speaking about The Life and Teachings of St. John Henry Newman, including his theological reflections, his spiritual journey from Anglicanism to Catholicism, and his legacy as one of the great thinkers and spiritual guides of the modern Church.
A Prayer Service and Mass celebrating the life and influence of St. Francis of Assisi is being held:
Chief celebrant is Bishop Francis Duffy of Tuam.
The Franciscan Abbey in Galway city are hosting a special Triduum of Masses to celebrate the 800th Jubilee of St Francis
A new devotional shrine to Our Lady of Győr, Consoler of the Afflicted has been installed in Galway Cathedral.
There will be solemn Enshrinement of the Image of Our Lady of Győr and the Blessing of the Devotional Shrine during the regular Mass on Sunday on 4 October 2026, at 6.00pm.
In the 17th century. Bishop Walter Lynch of Clonfert, a Galway native who was forced into exile, found refuge in Győr in Hungary. He took with him an image of the Madonna and Child, and when he died in 1663, it was placed in Győr Cathedral.
While Mass was being said there on Saint Patrick’s Day, 1697, witnesses saw the image began shedding tears of blood: This continued for several hours. Following this event, the image became known as Our Lady of Győr, Consoler of the Afflicted, and a strong popular devotion arose. This includes a particular bond between the Church in Győr and the west of Ireland.
On the feast of our Lady of the Rosary, 7 October 2026, the Rosary will be recited continuously from after the 10am Mass until 6pm. Everyone is welcome to join in at any time during the day.
The Dominicans at St Mary's parish in the Claddagh are offering Sunday school for children aged 6-12 years.
This is not a children's liturgy: rather it is a time of faith-formation, fun, and friendship.
Classes include Bible study, prayer, song and crafts, and run during the school on Sundays between 10:45 and 11:45am, ie after the 10am Mass and before the 12-noon Mass.
If you are interesting, contact the Dominican priory on (091) 852884.
Irish Dominican priest Fr. Alan O Sullivan O.P. is leading a retreat for young people (age 18-35), about The Human Person, Technology and AI.
The weekend will include prayer, talks, adoration, confession, Mass, free-time and community.
Venue is the Holy Family Mission: Described by some as being in Co Tipperary, this is located in Glen Upper, Co. Waterford, E91 H584, Ireland (very close to the Tipperary border - the nearest town in Clonmel).
Date/time: 23 October 6pm to 25 October, 2pm
Cost €150: includes food and accommodation
Bookings: emailalan.osullivan@dominicans.ie or phone 018961260
Enquiries: Emmanuele and Benedetta - 086 219 8186 or Fr Fernando 083 1268126
Clonfert and Galway Dioceses have announced a series of gatherings for friends on the Lourdes pilgrimage in 2026/27.
The first is a Mass of Thanksgiving,
Date: Tuesday 13 October, 8pm
Venue: Loughrea Cathedral (see churches in east Galway for map links)
Youth 2000 is a world-wide Catholic youth organisation that runs local prayer-groups, faith-sharing and fellowship meetings for young people aged 16 to 35, as well as larger events like faith festivals and retreats. They aim to be a welcoming place to be together in faith and deepen friendship with Jesus.
On the first evening for September 2026, Bishop Michael will lead the gathering in prayer.
For questions, email youth@galwaycathedral.ie
American priest Fr. Lawrence Carney, author of The Secret of the Holy Face and founder of the League of St. Martin, is doing a speaking tour of Ireland in 2027, sponsored by Human Life International.
He will be at Knock Shrine on Friday 25 September, from 6:45pm.
The evening will include
Attendance is free, and no booking is required. There will be a request for donations on the evening.
World Youth Day is a faith-festival for young people, hosted by the Pope and running approximately every 3 or 4 years.
The 2027 World Youth Day, which is the first one with Pope Leo XIV, is being held on 3-8 August 3rd Seoul, which is the capital-city of Korea.
It is planned that a group of young people from the dioceses of Clonfert, Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora, Achonry and Elphin will travel and attend the event together. Travel dates will be approximately 27 July - 12 August, 2027.
Young adults (ages 19-30) who are interested should make contact with:
St Ignatius of Loyola (founder of the Jesuit order) developed an in-depth retreat called "The Exercises", which involve withdrawing into solitude and concentrated prayer for a month.
But Ignatius knew that many people could not retreat for 30 days, so he developed devised an alternative way to making the Exercises, spread out over a longer time and remaining in ordinary life situations.
Eoin Garrett from the Dublin-based Manresa Spirituality Centre is running an (on-line?) information morning about the Exercises in Daily Life. To attend, email reception@manresa.ie
Date: Saturday 5 September 2026, 10am - 12:30pm.
Date: Thursday 24th September, 2026, 7.30pm –9.30pm
Loct: €10/Donation
Location : Croi Nua, Rosary Lane, Taylor’s Hill, Galway (H91WY2A)
Bookings: Email croinuacentre@gmail.com or phone 085 7829855
The Irish Bishops website has a set of parish resources for the Season of Creation 2026, which runs from 1 September to 4 October.
These are available from https://www.catholicbishops.ie/laudato-si/season-of-creation-2026 and include:
The Poor Clare community in Galway offers Monastic Experience Days for women who are interested in exploring the contemplative life within a monastic community.
Date: Saturday 19th September from 10am - 5pm
This is an opportunity to discover more about the daily rhythm of prayer, work, and community life lived by the Poor Clares. You may pray the Divine Office with the sisters, spend time in silent prayer, Adoration and reflection, and learn about the Poor Clare Order. There is also some informal conversation with the sisters, and time for questions and guidance in discernment.
For more information see www.poorclares.ie/monastic-experience-days
The Poor Clare Monastery in Galway City are hosting a Cherished Daughters Half-Day Retreat for women 18-40.
This gathering celebrates the God-given uniqueness of each woman in a spirit of faith, friendship, and sharing, providing a warm and welcoming space to connect and grow, and features featuring Louise Mc Guinness, co-director of Star of the Sea Retreat Centre in Mullaghmore, Co. Sligo.
Date: Sunday, Septmber 6 • 2 PM - 6 PM
Book on the CherishedDaughter's Eventbrite page.
A series of adoration sessions to pray for priestly vocations have been organised in the diocese in August / September 2026.
These will use a monstrance (ie host-display cabinet) that was blessed by Pope Leo in November 2025 for use in Ireland to aid prayer for diocesian priesthood.
Dates and times:
The Irish Dominican's have organised a guided 25km one-day pilgrimage camino (walk) in the Boyne Valley.
It is a day of Pilgrimage, Prayer, Brotherhood and Renewal, open to all men age 18+
Date: Saturday 12 September 2026.
Registration is at 7:30am at St Peter’s Church, Drogheda. The day will include:
Registration and more information, including practical details re accommodation, transport etc, is available on the Dominican's website.
The Blessing of Galway Bay is an annual tradition honouring the traditions associated with the fishing community based in the Claddagh, and their relationship with the God and the sea.
Date: Sunday 16 August 2026
3-7 pm: Community Summer BBQ at the Claddagh Snooker Hall and Claddagh Hall, featuring music, food, and Irish dancing.
7pm: Blessing of the Bay ceremony begins. Traditional boats (including Galway Hookers) will leave Claddagh Quay to sail out to Mutton Island for the blessing.
This Outdoor Retreat is a journey through the beautiful Burren with its spectacular limestone landscape, rare flora and ancient sacred sites. It is an opportunity to take time to renew your mind, body and spirit in the peace and beauty of creation.
This is a Residential retreat, with a option for day-attendance for participants who live nearby.
Dates: Friday 4 to Sunday 6 September, 2026
Location: The Burren, Co Clare - with accommodation at Red Gates, Killeen, Corofin
Information: phone Mary – 087 970 1130
Bookings, phone Des – 085 161 4951
The Irish branch of the worldwide Marriage Encounter movement are running a residential weekend workshop for married couples who are "seeking to improve communication and reconnect".
Date: 2 - 4 October 2026
Location: Focolare Centre, Prosperous, County Kildare
Bookings / more information: https://www.marriageencounter.ie/marriage-encounter-weekend
The Poor Clare sisters in Galway invite people to join them to celebrate the feast of St Clare (11 August).
Dates
Location: Poor Clare Chapel, Nuns' Island - H91 CAV2.
Entry is at the top of the road called "Nuns island", to the right of the NUIG Education building. The chapel entrance is to the right of the main door.
(*)Transitus is general name for an evening service of "passage" or "crossing over" - many Franciscan orders have particular prayers for it on special days.
Galway Community Voices is a singing skill-building and training programme open to adults interested in joining community or other choirs. It aims to:
This will help people who might like to join a church choir, or people who want to take their current church-choir to a higher level.
The programme has three modules, run by members of Resurgam (Ireland's best project-based professional choir). These are paid for by Galway City Council through its Creative Communities Fund, and will run between late August to early October 2026:
The goal of these workshops is to enable communities in Galway an opportunity to take part in Galway Messiah 2026 - which is on Sunday, 6 December 2026.
Any person or group which interested in taking part can contact Linda O'Shea Farren, CEO of Resurgam at info@resurgam.ie
More information is on their website: https://www.resurgam.ie/galway-community-voices
A residential icon-writing workshop is being held at Knock Shrine
Dates: 31st August to 5th September 2026
Leader: Mihai Cucu, a Romanian artist and teacher, creator or the triptych icon of The Holy Family, commissioned for the World Meeting of Families 2018.
This will included the whole process of creating a hand-written icon as a contemplative journey of prayer, presence and attentive seeing.
Cost: €695 per person - this includes:
Contact for information: John Farrelly - retreatvillage@knockshrine.ie or phone +353 (086) 0108623
The Power House International is holding a three-day Outpouring Convention of worship, revival, prayer and ministry.
The theme is Ezekiel 39:29 — “And I will not hide my face anymore from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD”.
Date: Friday, August 14, to Sunday, August 16, 2026
Location: The Power House International, Unit 22, Oldenway Business Park, Ballybrit, Galway - H91 958A
Convenor: Rev. David Richman, working with Dr Francis Wale Oke of the Calvary Grace College of Bishops
Guest speakers / ministers: Bishop and Mama Francis Wale Oke (Nigeria) Felix ‘Remi’ Adejumo (Nigeria), Segun Lana (North America), Bimbo Animashaun (Nigeria), Nick Park (Ireland), Pastor John Ahern (Ireland) and Olumuyiwa Ojo (North America).
Programme
Admission is free.
Register to attend at https://www.thepowerhouseinternational.org/events/outpouring-2026
A gathering of hope, healing and community on the feast of the Assumption (15 August 2026).
Meet in Market Square at 2:15pm for the 1.3km walk to Lady's Well, Kingsland, South Athenry
