Up to 12,000 a day at city Novena

THE Director of the Novena in Galway Cathedral, Redemptorist Father Brendan Oâ€â„¢Rourke, has expressed gratitude and great satisfaction at the congregations that attended between February 4 and 12. â€Å“In this year of The Gathering it is impressive to witness anything between 10,000 and 12,000 people coming to pray together each day for nine days,â€Â he said.[private] At the final day, as he thanked everyone who had been part of the Novena, he went on to say: â€Å“One regret I have this year is the fact that a significant number of people coming to the Novena have been served parking tickets. In these days of strong financial pressure this is particularly burdensome. I promise you, together with the Novena Preparation Team, to attempt to address better the parking situation with the relevant parties in the city, between now and next yearâ€â„¢s Novena, and see whether we can come up with a win/win situation.â€Â Fr Oâ€â„¢Rourke added: â€Å“The Solemn Novena in the Cathedral is a great institution and tradition in Galway City. It is a celebration of faith and community. It is a celebration which gives hope and vision. â€Å“Galway Novena is also a significant financial asset to the cityâ€â„¢s shops, restaurants, and bars, and so, the promotion of the Novena, and its future is to the advantage not only of the faith community of Galway City but also to the financial well-being of the City.â€Â Next yearâ€â„¢s novena is from February 10 to 18.[/private]