Knock Shrine

Knock Shrine () 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 
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 
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)"The Story of Knock", Knock Shrine

Those who saw the apparition stood in the rain for up to two hours.

 Evidence 
An ecclesiastical inquiry was held to decide if the vision was true and not a mistake or fake.

The evidence was found to be trustworthy and not a lie. At a second Commission of inquiry in 1936, the surviving witnesses confirmed the evidence they gave to the first Commission.

Every August, ten thousand pilgrims go to visit the Knock Shrine ."Ireland: new Parish Priest for National Shrine at Knock", Independent Catholic News, 3 February 2012

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.

Recent history
Mother Teresa of Calcutta visited the Shrine in June 1993."Knock, Ireland's National Marian Shrine", Mayo, Ireland

Related pages
 Knock, County Mayo
 Our Lady of Fátima
 Our Lady of Lourdes

 More reading 
 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

Other websites
 Official website of Knock Shrine
 The music for the song "Lady of Knock" 

Category:Buildings and structures in the Republic of Ireland
Category:County Mayo
Category:Marian shrines
Category:Saint Joseph (husband of Mary)