Our Lady of Knock
Knock is a parish in
County Mayo, Ireland. On the evening of August 21, 1879. The Virgin
Mary, St. Joseph, and St. John the Evangelist appeared at the south
gable of the Knock parish church. A cross, a lamb, an altar, and a
complement of angels surrounded them. These apparitions remained for two
hours while 15 people witnessed the sight and said the rosary. Two
ecclesiastical commissions, one in 1879 and one in 1936 examined the
events and the witnesses' reports and endorsed the veracity of the
appearances. The conclusions of these commissions allowed the
establishment of Knock as a Marian pilgrimage site.
The Knock shrine
committee was established in 1935 and pilgrimages to the site have
increased over the years. In 1976 the Basilica of Our Lady, Queen of
Ireland was opened with space for 12,000 people. Pope John Paul 11
visited Knock in 1979 and said mass. A large cross marks the site of the
Pope's visit. An International airport has been built at Knock and over
one million people visit each year.
A visit to Knock is
always worthwhile. At the old church one gets a true sense of the
miracle of the apparitions. Masses are continuously offered inside the
old church and at the site of the apparitions. During the busier months
devotions, rosaries, and Stations of the Cross occur regularly. It is
truly a moving experience at the shrine.
Many explanations for
the apparitions have been put forth. Some say that it was a spiritual
reminder thirty years after the end of the famine. Some say that it was
to boost the Irish morale after the failure of the Fenian Movement and
the ongoing attempts for home rule. Some say that it was in support of
the devotional revolution in Ireland at the time that had seen the
religion move back into the church centered as opposed to home centered
worship.
The explanation for the
apparition is probably all of these and more. Ireland in 1879 was in the
midst of a very difficult period. The aforementioned issues were
complicated by massive immigration to other countries (mainly the
U.S.A.) beginning in the 1850's and continuing through the 1890's (over
3 million people). Families were being broken up never to be reunited
again. Poverty, separation, servitude, and an inability to see an end to
hard times had taken its toll on the Irish people, particularly in
Connacht. Perhaps this sense of desperation and hopelessness caused God
to send a reminder of the special relationship of the Catholic Church
and the Irish people. This sign of glory and hope would serve to
rejuvenate the Irish people and bolster their faith. This would also
serve as an inspiration for generations to come.
A.O.H. Div. 7, Suffolk County New York is the Our Lady
of Knock Division in honor and remembrance of this great apparition and
of the Blessed Mother. |