Ashbourne family's key role in Papal ceremony at Croke Park

An Ashbourne family of ten, Damien and Mary Richardson and their children are representing Europe at the World Meeting of Families Papal Ceremony in Croke Park on Saturday night. They are one of four families taking significant part in the ceremony - the others will be representing Africa, Iraq, India and Canada.
Busloads of parishioners will leave parishes across County Meath for the visit of Pope Francis to Ireland this weekend, with families and individuals across the diocese playing a major role in the celebrations. The opening hymn for Sunday's Papal Mass, which is expected to be attended by half a million people, has been composed by a Meathman and 250 local singers will be part of the 3,000 strong choir.
Fourteen couples from the diocese of Meath will meet Pope Francis at the Pro Cathedral in Dublin on Saturday afternoon. They are either couples who are recently married or about to be married this year.
Parishes around the county and dioscese are celebrating the World Meeting of Families this evening and pilgrims from all over the world are being hosted in parishes around the county.
The Papal Mass in the Phoenix Park on Sunday will see the participation of 250 singers from around the diocese of Meath. 
The hymn 'A Joy for all the Earth' which was composed by Ephrem Feeley from Ashbourne, a teacher in St Joseph’s Mercy Secondary School, Navan, is the opening hymn for the Mass.
The choir is conducted by Dr John O’Keeffe, a past pupil of St Finian’s Schola Cantorum and the Meath diocesan group of singers comprising choirs from Dunboyne, Ashbourne, Navan, Kentstown and Kilmessan. The Diocesan Choir will form part of the 3,000 voice choir for the Sunday Mass.
Pilgrim families from the diocese of Leira-Fátima in Portugal are being hosted in the homes of host families in Navan and Kentstown while families from Valencia om Spain are being hosted by families in Ashbourne and in Dunshaughlin parishes.