In the past, common religious practices in Ireland included praying the Rosary individually or as a family, attending Benediction in the evenings during certain months, participating in Corpus Christi processions with the Blessed Sacrament, attending parish missions that promoted devotional practices, engaging in the 40 Hours Devotion of continuous Eucharistic adoration, praying the Stations of the Cross individually or in a group on Good Friday, and making pilgrimages to sacred sites around Ireland.

1. Religious practice in the past

2. Rosary
The Rosary is a prayer of devotion to Mary,
mother of Jesus. The prayer is divided into five
decades. Each decade consists of the Our
Father, 10 Hail Marys and the Glory Be to the
Father. In the past, there were three sets of five
decades, called the Joyful, Sorrowful, and
Glorious Mysteries. In 2002, Pope John Paul II
intorduced another set of mysteries of the
Rosary, called the Luminous Mysteries or
Mysteries of Light. In the past, people went to
church for Rosary and Benediction each evening
in October and May. The Family Rosary was a
very popular religious practice in Ireland.

3. How to pray the Rosary
http://www.pacifier.com/rosary-center.org/howto.
http://www.easterbrooks.com/personal/calendar/j
(Rosary)

4. Bendiction
• In the past, people went to Benediction each
evening during October and May. They also
went on a Sunday evening. At Benediction, the
priest places the Blessed Sacrament (Body of
Christ) in a monstrance on the altar. The people
kneel in front of the Blessed Sacrament and sing
hymns of praise. Then the priest blesses the
people with the Blessed Sacrament. After the
blessing, the people say prayers of adoration.

6. Procession of Blessed Sacrament
• In the past, most parishes celebrated the feast
of Corpus Christi (Body of Christ) with a
Procession of the Blessed Sacrament. The
priest carried a monstrance containg the
Blessed Sacrament through the town or village.
He blessed the people with the Blessed
Sacrament at various points along the way. Most
people took part in the procession. They
honoured the Blessed sacrament by singing
hymns and praying the Rosary.

8. Parish Missions
In the past,a Prish Mission was held in nearly
every parish in Ireland. Visiting priests
celebrated Mass and the sacrament of
Reconciliation. They also celebrated the
Rosary and Benediction. During the mission,
the priests gave long ceremonies encouraging
devotional practices such as Family Rosary,
Benediction and the Stations of the Cross. The
Prish Mission was usually well attended.

10. 40 Hours Devotion, or
"Quarant'Ore"
The 40 Hours Devotion is
the collective adoration of
the exposed Eucharist for
a period of 40 hours, in
honor of the time Our Lord
spent in the tomb (no
single person is expected
to spend 40 hours in
adoration).

11. Stations of the Cross
In the past, many people prayed Stations
of the Cross. During the Stations of the
Cross, a person reflects on 14 points
along Jesus’ final journey to calvary.
Images of these 14 points are displayed
on the walls of roman Catholic churches.
Usually, a person prayes the Stations of
the Cross on their own. However, on Good
Friday, Roman Catholics gather together
to pray the Stations of the Cross.

13. Places of Pilgrimage
• In the past,
pilgrimages (journeys
to sacred places)
were a popular
religious practice.
People went on
pilgrimages to Croagh
Patrick, Knock and to
many other places,
including holy wells.