Novena selfies have a mass appeal

For those who no longer believe religion is the opiate of the masses, an argument to the contrary could be made in one Co Louth parish.

Not only are they turning up in droves to the Redemptorists’ novena in Dundalk, they’re also uploading photos of their devotion onto the Redemptorists’ Facebook page, starting a whole new ‘novena selfie’ craze.

As if that isn’t groundbreaking enough, a quick browse of said Facebook page shows that not only is Jesus in the House, but so too is Mickey Mouse and any number of familiar children’s characters. This is a novena with a difference, perhaps explaining why 10,000 people are attending daily, filling the Redemptorist Church at each of the nine daily novenas toSt Gerard.