The Salford Diocesan Lourdes Pilgrimage is delighted to congratulate our Emeritus Medical Director, Dr Kieran Moriarty CBE, who has been invested by Pope Leo XIV as a Knight of the Pontifical Order of Saint Gregory the Great, one of the Holy See's highest honours for lay men and women. The Rite of Investiture took place during our Pre-departure Mass on Sunday 26th July 2026 at Salford Cathedral and was performed by Bishop John Arnold.

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The Pontifical Order of Saint Gregory the Great is awarded by the Holy Father in recognition of distinguished service to the Catholic Church and to society. It acknowledges a lifetime of faithful commitment and outstanding contribution. For pilgrims to Lourdes from Salford, Dr Moriarty's name has become synonymous with professional excellence and devoted service. As Medical Director of the Salford Diocesan Lourdes Pilgrimage from 1990 until 2018, and now as Emeritus Medical Director, he has dedicated decades to ensuring that sick and assisted pilgrims could participate fully in a pilgrimage to Lourdes with confidence and dignity.

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Dr Moriarty’s contribution has extended beyond the Diocese of Salford. Since 2004, he has served on the Lourdes International Medical Committee responsible for examining reports of extraordinary healings attributed to the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes. In this important role, he has contributed to the careful scientific scrutiny that underpins the Church's recognition of miraculous cures. Most importantly, he conducted the extensive research that led to the recognition in 2024 of the miraculous cure of John Traynor, a Liverpool pilgrim, who was cured in Lourdes in 1923.

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Dr Moriarty has also worked tirelessly to support the pilgrimage through fundraising, raising tens of thousands of pounds to enable nurses to accompany the pilgrimage. The sale of his special recording of Irish songs and ballads generated £32,000 alone in support of this important work.

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Alongside his pilgrimage work, Dr Moriarty has enjoyed an internationally-respected medical career. Awarded a CBE for Services to Medicine in 2002, particularly for caring for people with alcohol problems, he has held numerous national leadership roles, pioneered research to enable people with coeliac disease to receive Holy Communion through the introduction of gluten-low altar breads and established international medical partnerships benefiting healthcare professionals in Ethiopia.

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Paying tribute to Dr Moriarty's achievement, Pilgrimage Director Fr Gerard Fieldhouse-Byrne said:

"This honour could not be more richly deserved. Kieran has devoted so much of his life to the care of pilgrims, particularly those who are sick and vulnerable, and has always placed his extraordinary medical expertise at the service of Our Lady's pilgrimage. His contribution extends far beyond Salford, through his work with the Lourdes International Medical Committee and the Sanctuary of Lourdes, where he has represented our pilgrimage with distinction for many years.

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Many thousands of pilgrims have benefited directly from Kieran's kindness, wisdom and quiet dedication. His tireless fundraising has enabled generations of nurses to travel to Lourdes, and his leadership helped shape the excellent medical service for which the Salford Pilgrimage is so well known today. On behalf of everyone associated with the pilgrimage, I offer him our heartfelt congratulations and sincere thanks for his faithful service to the Church."

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Dr Moriarty said:

“I am deeply moved to be appointed a Pontifical Knight of the Order of Saint Gregory the Great by Pope Leo XIV and will strive to maintain unswerving fidelity to God, the Supreme Pontiff, the Holy See and the Church by fighting evil, promoting good and defending the weak and oppressed against injustice.”

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Kieran was particularly moved by a personal message from Cardinal Arthur Roche, Prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, who wrote:

“I rejoice with you upon hearing the honour Pope Leo XIV has bestowed upon you for your innumerable works of charity to the Church at her local, national and international levels. It is a sign of the Church’s gratitude and admiration but, through Peter, also a sign of God’s own will and delight in you. This news will bring joy to very many.”

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This recognition also reflects a personal mission statement that has guided much of Kieran’s professional and spiritual life:

“We never give up on anyone, even if they give up on themselves.”

 

Everyone involved with the Salford Diocesan Lourdes Pilgrimage extends their warmest congratulations to Dr Moriarty and his family on this wonderful and richly deserved recognition, and thanks him for his exceptional witness of faith, service and generosity over many decades.