followeth me, walketh not in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)
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According to tradition, Knock had been blessed by St. Patrick, who prophesied that one day it would be a holy place. And surely Knock has become a holy place indeed since the night of August 21st, 1879, when Our Lady, St. Joseph, St. John the Evangelist, and our Lord appearing as the Lamb of God, were seen at the south gable of Knock Parish Church in County Mayo in the west of Ireland.
Included in the apparition was a life sized altar, on which stood a young lamb that looked to be about five or six weeks old, and a cross standing behind him, with adoring angels hovering above. The apparition was witnessed by 15 people, both young and old. Over the years more and more people have gone to Knock on pilgrimage and many have reported miraculous healings. Among those who have visited Knock was our late Holy Father of happy memory, John Paul II in 1979, 100 years after the apparition occured. His personal pilgrimage commemorated the centenary of the apparition and endorsed the indelible seal of Vatican approval. This Church of Knock has become an internationally recognized Marian Shrine, which is visited by one and a half million pilgrims each year.
Article: Our Lady of Knock - John O’Connell Prayers and Hymns: Prayer to Our Lady of Knock Novena to our Lady of Knock - August 15th- August 23rd 2006 Our Lady of Knock - Hymn by Dana (Rosemary Scallon) Pilgrimage Information: The Shrine of Knock - Ireland's National Marian Shrine, located in County Mayo on the West Coast of Ireland and the Western edge of Europe. |
