A typical Irish village, Knock was thrust into the spotlight in 1879 when a divine apparition turned it into one of the most important Catholic shrines in the world.
The Knock Shrine, made up of five churches and a museum, now dominates the area, attracting pilgrims from far and wide who are desperate to relive a story that began on the evening of 21 August 1879.
The tale started with two rain-soaked local women startled by a vision against the southern gable of the parish church. Frozen in a dazzling white light, it reportedly showed Mary, Joseph, St. John the Evangelist and a sacrificial lamb upon an altar. The two women were quickly joined by another 13 villagers and, together, they stood gazing at the vision for two hours as darkness fell.
The church launched an immediate investigation into the claims and eventually declared the story to be true, leading to many other Vatican-approved “miracles” as sick and disabled pilgrims claimed to be cured after visiting the shrine.
The original parish church has long since disappeared, replaced by a modern chapel featuring a scene of the apparition carved from white marble. It also houses a piece of stone, rubbed smooth by the number of hands and lips that have touched it, from the original church.
The striking Basilica of Our Lady, Queen of Ireland, capable of accommodating 10,000 worshippers, stands nearby and, across a vast plaza, Knock Museum charts the entire story of the miraculous apparition of 1879.
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