Some parishes are in financial difficulty, especially those who have no savings to call on or who have been caught in the middle of a parish building programme - Fr Brendan Hoban.

“We need to be building a society that will reach out to those who find themselves unexpectedly in dramatic situations and create a culture in which no one is ever driven to despair.”

Over the six days of Clogher’s virtual pilgrimage a dedicated website was accessed nearly 12,000 times and attracted participants from places as diverse as Australia, the USA, Kuwait and Trinidad & Tobago.

Striking the right balance between Covid-safety and welcoming pilgrims back to Lough Derg with confidence was the deciding factor, Fr La Flynn said and noted that by its very nature the pilgrimage is a tactile one.