“We were welcomed by families whose focus is now day-to-day survival and whose aspirations have been reduced to bare essentials such as electricity and clean water.”
Among the tens of thousands of Irish who have visited the shrine are President John F Kennedy, Grace Kelly, Brendan Behan and Seamus Heaney.
March conference at the Waterford Institute of Technology is the first of its kind in Ireland and will discuss the potential for growth in sustainable spiritual tourism.
Twenty-nine men representing twenty-six dioceses begin their five-yearly pilgrimage to Rome this weekend.
"Unintended consequences" of the focus on the mechanics of safeguarding and zero tolerance highlighted.
A dedicated day for grandparents would recognise that “grandparents are the anchor in families - they are anchored by faith.”
New projects are to be rolled out in Tuam over the next 12 to 18 months for young people aged 12 -35 years old.
