Knock Shrine
Knock Shrine (Irish: Cnoc Mhuire) is a Roman Catholic pilgrimage site. In 1879, a religious vision was said to have happened in the village of Knock, County Mayo, Ireland. It was seen by fifteen people. The vision was of The Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, John the Evangelist, angels, and Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God. A church was later built on the site, to worship and remember this event.
The vision[change | change source]
On the evening of 21 August 1879, at about 8 o'clock, fifteen people, aged from five years to seventy-five included men, women, teenagers and children, witnessed this event.
They all said they saw an apparition of Our Lady, Saint Joseph, and Saint John the Evangelist on the wall of the small parish church. The little church was called the Church of Saint John the Baptist.
Description[change | change source]
The Blessed Virgin Mary was said to be beautiful, standing a few feet above the ground. She wore a white dress. She had a crown on her head. The crown was golden, sparkling, and glittering. She was described as "in prayer", with her eyes raised to heaven.
Saint Joseph, also wearing a white robe, stood on the Virgin's right hand. Behind the figures, to the left of Saint John was a plain altar. On the altar was a cross and a lamb, with angels around. The lamb is the symbol of Jesus. This symbol is from the religious phrase The Lamb of God)[1][2]
Those who saw the apparition stood in the rain for up to two hours.[3]
Evidence[change | change source]
An ecclesiastical inquiry was held to decide if the vision was true and not a mistake or fake.[4]
The evidence was found to be trustworthy and not a lie.[4] At a second Commission of inquiry in 1936, the surviving witnesses confirmed the evidence they gave to the first Commission.[1][5]
Every August, ten thousand pilgrims go to visit the Knock Shrine .[6]
The original little church is still there. A new Apparition chapel with statues of Our Lady, St Joseph, the lamb and St John the Evangelist, has been built next to it. Knock Basilica is a separate building showing a tapestry of the apparition.[5]
Recent history[change | change source]
Mother Teresa of Calcutta visited the Shrine in June 1993.[7]
Related pages[change | change source]
More reading[change | change source]
- John MacPhilpin. The Apparitions and Miracles at Knock. PJ Kennedy. 1904
- Sister Mary Francis Clare. Three Visits to Knock. PJ Kennedy. 1904
- Neary, Tom, I Saw Our Lady.
References[change | change source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "The Story of Knock", Knock Shrine
- ↑ ""The Apparition at Knock", Knock Shrine Association of America". Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
- ↑ "The Story of Knock". Archived from the original on 28 May 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Carey, F. P. "Knock and its Shrine" (PDF). catholicpamphlets.net, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 November 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Geraghty, Joan. "Knock Shrine, the holy site", Mayo News, 18 July 2012". Archived from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
- ↑ "Ireland: new Parish Priest for National Shrine at Knock", Independent Catholic News, 3 February 2012
- ↑ "Knock, Ireland's National Marian Shrine", Mayo, Ireland