MARIAN APPARITION AT KNOCK
Marian apparition at Knock By Edward Matulanya Here are history, witness, investigation, theology, and development of the shrine of Marian Apparition at Knock. Introduction The Marian apparition at Knock, County Mayo, Ireland, is one of the most remarkable religious events in modern Catholic history. On the evening of August 21, 1879, fifteen villagers reported seeing a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and St. John the Evangelist beside a lamb on an altar, outside the parish church of St. John the Baptist. Unlike other Marian apparitions such as those at Lourdes (1858) and Fatima (1917), the Knock apparition was entirely silent, conveying its message through rich symbolism rather than spoken words (Walsh, 1959; O'Carroll, 1993). Historical Context The apparition occurred during a period of hardship in nineteenth-century Ireland. The Great Famine (1845–1852) had devastated the country’s population, and by 1879, a new agricultural crisis loomed due to potato bli...