Knock, County Mayo

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Knock (Ireland)
Knock
Knock

Knock ( Irish An Cnoc , "The Hill"), also known as Cnoc Mhuire , "Hill of the (Virgin) Mary", is a pilgrimage site in County Mayo , Ireland . The place has 745 inhabitants (as of 2006).

Along with Lourdes and Fátima, Knock is considered to be the most important Marian shrine in Europe.

History of the pilgrimage site

Pilgrimage Church of Knock

On August 21, 1879 at 8 p.m., the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared in the company of St. Joseph and the Evangelist John , a total of 15 people of different ages and sexes at the south gable of the church consecrated to John the Baptist in Knock. Behind them on an altar were a cross and a lamb adored by angels. The scene was bathed in a heavenly light. Despite the pouring rain, the witnesses observed the apparition for two hours, neither the gable itself nor the area on the floor over which the apparition took place got wet.

A commission of inquiry was set up within six weeks by the responsible Archbishop of Tuam , Dr. John MacHale, who was appointed, came to the conclusion, after detailed questioning of the eyewitnesses, that their statements were "credible and satisfactory" and that the appearance was recognized by the Catholic Church.

The publication of the results of the investigation in the press led to an influx of pilgrims , especially from Ireland itself and from Americans of Irish descent, many of whom hoped to cure their illnesses and ailments. The pastor of the parish of Knock, Bartholomew Cavanagh, kept a diary from October 1879 on the miraculous healings reported to him.

In 1936, after questioning the three eyewitnesses who were still alive at the time and who confirmed their information from 1879, another commission of inquiry also came to the conclusion that their statements were "sincere and trustworthy".

The importance of Knock as a place of pilgrimage was given a boost by Monsignor James Horan, who has been there since 1963 . At his instigation, sponsored by the Archbishop of Tuam Joseph Cunnane , the new Basilica of Our Lady, Queen of Ireland, was built as a pilgrimage church that can accommodate 10,000 people. The church environment was designed to cater to a large number of believers. These include B. Loudspeakers that broadcast prerecorded sermons, or water pipes with taps that allow consecrated water to be filled. According to statements from residents, normal tap water runs out of these taps. It is sacred in that Father Horan once blessed the lake that feeds the Knocks water system. Souvenir vendors sell plastic bottles labeled Holy Water from Knock Shrine .

Horan also sponsored the construction of the nearby Ireland West Airport Knock , which went into operation on May 20, 1986, which significantly improved the accessibility of Knock.

Every year around 1.5 million pilgrims come. On the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of the apparition of Mary in 1979, Pope John Paul II , an ardent devotee of Mary , paid a visit to the place. Mother Teresa also visited Knock in 1993.

In October 2009, several pilgrims in Knock suffered retinal burns after looking straight into the sun with unprotected eyes in anticipation of a “sun miracle”. They had to be taken care of by a doctor.

photos

  • Knock, town center

  • Pilgrimage Church of Knock

  • Holy water from the tap

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Death of Archbishop Joseph Cunnane DD, retired Archbishop of Tuam , Message from the Irish Bishops' Conference
  2. ↑ Knock shrine pilgrims suffering eye damage after 'apparition , The Telegraph , December 3, 2009

literature

  • Peter H. Görg, The Miracle of Knock - The Appearance of the Virgin Mary in Ireland in Times of Social Need, Media Maria Verlag, Illertissen 2010.
  • Tom Neary, I Saw Our Lady, Knock n.d., 156 pp.
  • John Scally, I Was Cured at Knock - The extraordinary story of an extraordinary woman, Knock 2005, 127 pp.
  • Ethna Kennedy (Ed.), Judy Coyne Providence My Guide. The heroic force in the Knock Shrine story, Knock o. J., 254 p.
  • The Custodians of Knock Shrine (Ed.), Knock - Sanctuary of Our Lady. Guide for pilgrims, Knock o. J.
  • Ms. Berchmans Walsh OCSO., Knock Mary's International Shrine of the Lamb of God, Knock o. J., 16 pp.
  • Sean Egan & Tom Neary (eds.), Knock Parish Church - 1828–2006, Knock 2006, 24 pp.
  • Knock Shrine Society (Ed.), Knock Shrine Annual, Knock 1938ff.
  • The Custodians of Knock Shrine (Ed.), Knock Shrine. A Pilgrim's Guide Book, English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Knock n.d., 26 pp.
  • Ms. Hubert OFMCap., Knock - Vision of Hope, Knock o. J., 36 pp.
  • Tom Lane CM, Reflecting at Knock Before our Merciful Lamb, Knock o. J., 127 pp.
  • Msgr. Michael Walsh, The Apparition at Knock - A Critical Analysis of Facts and Evidence, Knock 1955 a. ö.
  • NN, Knock - The Apparition Gable, Knock o. J.
  • Msgr. Michael Walsh, The Glory of Knock, Knock 2000, 51 pp.
  • Donal Flanagan (Ed.), The Meaning of Knock, Knock 1997.
  • Mary Francis Clare Cusack, Three Visits to Knock, New York 1882.
  • Liam Ua Cadhain, Venerable Archdeacon Cavanagh, Knock o. J., 135 pp.
  • Siobhan Bean Ui Cadhain, Vision In Marble, Knock n.d., 16 pp.

Web links

Commons : Knock (County Mayo)  - Collection of images, videos, and audio files

Coordinates: 53 ° 47 ′  N , 8 ° 55 ′  W