Faith in Bloom - Church Return to Nature Conference, Knock

What to Expect

Knock Shrine follows its National Novena with a one-day conference on the church and the natural world, billed as “Faith in Bloom” and subtitled Church Return to Nature. It runs on Saturday 29 August 2026 at St John’s Rest and Care Centre inside the shrine grounds, from 10am to 3pm, and the shrine has set it up as a faith renewal event rather than a liturgy. Admission is free and tickets are issued through the shrine’s own booking system with no cap on numbers.

The theme is a direct continuation of the novena strand led by biodiversity officer Sheila Murphy, whose workshop on 17 August carried the same Church Return to Nature title. The day is aimed at parish groups, grounds and graveyard committees, and anyone responsible for church land who wants practical ideas on managing it for wildlife rather than tidiness alone. The shrine publishes the running order for the day on a separate programme page, so it is worth checking that before travelling. Refreshment breaks are built into the schedule and St John’s is fully accessible, which makes it a workable venue for older parish volunteers.

Good to Know

• Saturday 29 August 2026, 10am to 3pm.
• Venue is St John’s Rest and Care Centre, in the Knock Shrine grounds, Knock, Co. Mayo, F12 Y226.
• Free admission. Tickets are issued online through knockshrine.ie and capacity is listed as unlimited.
• The day programme is published separately on the shrine website closer to the date.
• Enquiries to Knock Shrine on 094 938 8100 or info@knockshrine.ie.
• The Basilica, Apparition Chapel and Knock Museum are all open the same day if you want to make a longer visit of it.

Getting There

Knock village sits on the N17 in east Mayo, about 15km north of Claremorris and roughly 30 minutes from Castlebar. Free car parking is signposted from every approach to the shrine, and St John’s is a short signposted walk from the main car parks. Ireland West Airport Knock is 20 minutes north near Charlestown. Bus Eireann services on the Galway to Sligo route stop in the village, a few minutes’ walk from the shrine gates.