Knock Shrine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of Knock, Queen of Ireland |
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Cnoc Mhuire
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Sanctuary of Our Lady of Knock
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 Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of Knock, Queen of Ireland
Location in Ireland
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| 53°47′32″N 8°55′04″W / 53.792099°N 8.917659°W | |
| Location | Knock, County Mayo |
| Country | Ireland |
| Language(s) | English, Irish |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Tradition | Roman Rite |
| History | |
| Dedication | Our Lady of Knock |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Modern |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 10,000 |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Claremorris |
| Archdiocese | Tuam |
The Knock Shrine is a very important Catholic pilgrimage site in the village of Knock, County Mayo, Ireland. It is famous because people there said they saw a special vision in 1879. They believed they saw the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, Saint John the Evangelist, angels, and Jesus Christ (as the Lamb of God).
Contents
The Apparition
On the evening of Thursday, August 21, 1879, it was raining heavily. Around 8 o'clock, a woman named Mary Byrne saw something amazing. She was walking home when she noticed three life-sized figures at the church wall. She quickly told her family, and soon many other people from the village gathered.
The witnesses said they saw a vision of Our Lady, Saint Joseph, and Saint John the Evangelist. They were standing at the back of the Church of Saint John the Baptist. Behind them, there was a simple altar with a cross and a lamb on it, surrounded by angels. One farmer, who was about half a mile away, said he saw a large golden light around the church wall.
For almost two hours, a group of people, from two to twenty-five, stood or kneeled in the rain, watching the figures. Some of the witnesses included Mary Byrne, her mother Margaret, her sister Margaret, her brother Dominick, her niece Catherine Murray, and young John Curry. An 11-year-old boy named Patrick Hill gave a very detailed description of what he saw.
For many Catholics, this vision had a very special and deep meaning about the future.
What the Vision Looked Like
| Our Lady of Knock | |
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The venerated image enshrined within the Knock Shrine
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| Location | Knock, County Mayo |
| Date | 1879 |
| Type | Marian apparition |
| Approval | 1879 Archbishop John MacHale Archdiocese of Tuam |
| Shrine | Sanctuary of Our Lady of Knock, Knock, County Mayo, Ireland |
The vision of Mary was described as very beautiful. She seemed to float a few feet above the ground. She wore a white cloak that hung in long folds and was fastened at her neck. She looked like she was "deep in prayer," with her eyes looking up to heaven and her hands raised.
Saint Joseph stood to Mary's right. He wore white robes and his head was bent forward towards Mary. Saint John the Evangelist stood to Mary's left. He wore a long robe and a special hat called a mitre. He was partly turned away from the others. Some witnesses said Saint John looked like he was preaching and held a large open book. Others did not see the book. To the left of Saint John, some said there was an altar with a lamb on it and a cross behind the lamb.
The people who saw the vision stayed in the rain for up to two hours, saying their prayers (the Rosary). Even though it got dark, they could still see the figures clearly. They said the figures did not move or flicker. The ground around the figures also stayed completely dry, even though it was windy and raining.
After the apparition, pilgrims started taking pieces of the church wall as souvenirs. They believed these pieces might help with cures.
Checking the Story
The local Archbishop of Tuam, Dr. John MacHale, started an official investigation on October 8, 1879. This group interviewed the witnesses. They wanted to know if the vision could be explained by nature or if it was a trick. The group decided that there was no natural explanation. They also said there was no sign of any trick. They believed the witnesses were telling the truth.
Later, in 1936, another investigation took place. This one interviewed the last living witnesses. They also looked at old newspaper reports and books from the 1880s. The surviving witnesses confirmed what they had told the first group.
News about Knock spread quickly because of new railways and newspapers. Stories of "strange occurrences" appeared in newspapers around the world, even in places like Chicago. Knock became a very popular place for Marian pilgrimages. People would do traditional Irish prayers and also Catholic devotions like the stations of the cross.
Knock Today
People who say they have been healed at Knock still leave crutches and sticks at the spot where the vision happened. Every year, people from different parts of Ireland make a special trip to Knock. A nine-day prayer event called the Knock novena also brings many pilgrims in August. The church calls the vision "Our Lady of Knock."
Knock has been visited by several important figures:
- In 1945, Pope Pius XII blessed a special banner for Knock.
- In 1960, Pope John XXIII gave a special candle to Knock.
- In 1974, Pope Paul VI blessed the first stone for the new Basilica at Knock.
- In 1979, Pope John Paul II visited the shrine for its 100th anniversary. He spoke to the sick, celebrated Mass, and made the shrine church a basilica. He also prayed at the apparition wall.
- In 2018, Pope Francis visited Knock as part of a trip to Ireland.
- In 2023, US President Joe Biden visited the shrine.
The Knock Shrine has five churches, including the Apparition Chapel and the Basilica. It also has a bookshop, a camping park, a museum, a cafe, and a hotel. The shrine offers daily Masses, Confessions, and other services. The original church is still there, and a new Apparition Chapel has statues of Mary, St. Joseph, the Lamb, and St. John. The Knock Basilica is a separate large building with a tapestry showing the vision.
Recent History
Mother Teresa of Calcutta visited the Shrine in June 1993.
In 2011, a large Catholic event called the National Eucharistic Congress was held at Knock. About 13,000 people attended.
Knock became a world-famous religious site largely thanks to Monsignor James Horan. He was the parish priest for a long time. He oversaw the building of the large new Knock Basilica. He also helped get government money to build Ireland West Airport about 19 kilometers away, which made it easier for people to visit the shrine.
In 2017, John Curry, who was the youngest witness to the Knock apparition, was reburied in a special ceremony in New York.
Parish Priest at the Time
The parish priest when the vision happened was The Very Reverend Bartholomew Aloysius Cavanagh. He was about 58 years old and had been the priest in Knock since 1867. He passed away in 1897 and is buried in the Old Church.
See also
- Marian apparitions
- Knock, County Mayo
- Shrines to the Virgin Mary
- Our Lady of Fátima
- Our Lady of Lourdes
