…Researched and contributed by Dorcas Funmi.
President Biden Meets Priest Who Gave Beau His Last Rites
President Joe Biden visited the Knock Shrine in Ireland on Friday, and during his visit, he met Father Frank O’Grady, the priest who gave his late son, Beau, his last rites in 2015.
The two had a tearful meeting that Father Richard Gibbons, the rector of the shrine, described as “spontaneous” and “wonderful.” Father O’Grady was serving as a chaplain for the United States Army when he administered the last rites to Beau, who died of brain cancer at age 46.
Father O’Grady now works at the Knock Shrine, which is the site of a 1879 Marian apparition in western Ireland.
The BBC reported that Father O’Grady was surprised to find out that the President wanted to meet with him. Father O’Grady also mentioned that Biden’s son, Hunter, was there, and they had a “real reunion.”
Father Gibbons shared that the President was crying during the meeting, and afterward, they said a prayer and lit a candle. Biden also took a moment of privacy for prayer.
Last Rites and Plaque in Memory of Beau
Last rites are available to Catholics when death is imminent, and they include an opportunity for repentance of one’s sins through the sacrament of reconciliation, receiving the holy Eucharist for the final time, and a series of prayers and the sacrament of anointing of the sick.
A plaque in honor of Beau is also located outside Mayo Roscommon Hospice and Palliative Care Center, where Biden’s relatives visited.
Biden’s Visit to the Knock Shrine
During his visit to the Knock Shrine, President Biden touched the wall of the original gable, where over a dozen villagers claim to have seen an apparition of the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and St. John the Evangelist. In 2021, Pope Francis recognized the site as a Marian and Eucharistic shrine.
The emotional meeting between President Biden and Father O’Grady shows the strong bond of faith that can bring people together, even after many years have passed.
The President’s visit to the Knock Shrine highlights the importance of religious sites in Ireland and their significance to people of faith around the world.