Our Lady of Knock

Location: Knock, Ireland
Date: 1879

Summary:
 On August 21, 1879, 15 witnesses (ranging in age from 5 to 75 years old) witnessed a silent apparition of Our Blessed Mother, St. Joseph, and St. John the Evangelist.  The apparition was behind the church and wasn’t wet even though it was pouring rain at the time.  The ground under the apparitions remained completely dry even though there was a wind which should have blown rain in that direction.  One witness reported that she wanted to kiss the feet of Our Blessed Mother but felt nothing when she approached the apparition.  A commission was appointed by the local archbishop to investigate the apparition, to see if natural causes could have made such an image and if there was any fraud on the part of the witnesses. The commission reported there was neither natural causes which could explain the apparition, nor any attempt at fraud.

Interesting Facts:
- Many witnesses described Our Blessed Mother as being clothed in a white robe, with a gold colored crown. She held her hands at chest height and apart as if she was praying.
- A second commission was instituted in 1936 and again returned a positive verdict of the apparition.
- Pope John Paul II visited the shrine on its 100th anniversary along with 450,000 people.
- Pope JPII presented a Golden Rose at the site of Our Lady of Knock, which is a rare sign of papal honor and recognition.
-A large number of healings have been attributed to pilgrimages to Knock.
 The first healing occurred 10 days after the apparition, when a youg girl born deaf instantly received her hearing.