The Papal Nuncio says the International Eucharistic Congress in Dublin marked a turning point for the Catholic Church in Ireland.

Archbishop Charles Brown was speaking at the closing mass of the National Novena in Knock in Co. Mayo.

He says the future of the Church here begins now.

The representative for the Pope says the faith of people has been revitalised by the unforgettable experience of the Congress in June which he says exceeded expectations.

However Archbishop Brown admits the road ahead is not an easy one.

And he says people need to be unafraid to affirm the elements of the Catholic way which secular society rejects and ridicules.