On a rainy Thursday evening of August 21, 1879, a miraculous apparition occurred in a poor farming village in County Mayo, Ireland. The people there were suffering greatly from poverty and a famine which had brought about increased unemployment, evictions, and emigration.

In the depths of these serious problems, fifteen villagers ranging from six to seventy-five years of age, witnessed a heavenly vision which appeared on the south gable of their parish church, the Church of St. John the Baptist. The apparition became a symbol of hope, consolation, and strength to the villagers and eventually to people throughout Ireland and the world.

On the night of the apparition, those witnessing the apparition knelt for two hours in the pouring rain and prayed the rosary as they watched the vision unfold. They saw Our Lady, clothed in white robes, with a gold rose upon her forehead and a brilliant gold crown on her head.

To her right was the image of St. Joseph. He was turned toward her in a gesture of respect. His robes were also white.

St. John the Evangelist was to Our Lady’s left. He was dressed in white vestments that resembled a bishop’s. He wore a small miter and held an open book in his left hand. He appeared to be preaching.

Behind these figures was a plain altar. On the altar, was a Lamb (representing Jesus Christ), with a large upright cross behind. Adoring angels hovered around the altar.

Within six weeks of the apparition, the Archbishop of Tuam, the Most Reverend John MacHale, set up a Church Commission of Enquiry. The fifteen witnesses were questioned and the commission reported that their evidence was “trustworthy and satisfactory.”

Pilgrims from all parts of Ireland and the world began to flock to the site of the apparition. The sick and disabled came in great numbers, and hundreds of cures were reported. Devotion to Our Lady of Knock developed, and Our Lady of Knock Shrine was established.

In 1936, a second commission investigated the apparition further. Three of the original fifteen witnesses were still alive. The commission confirmed the evidence given in 1879.

Through the years, the number of pilgrims visiting Our Lady of Knock Shrine has grown. In 1957, the Apparition Church at Knock became an affiliated church of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, one of the highest honors that can be bestowed upon a Shrine.

Three million pilgrims from all over the world visited the Shrine during the 100th Anniversary of the apparition in 1979. An estimated million or more pilgrims now visit Our Lady of Knock Shrine annually.

Oblates in Ireland:
The Missionary Oblates began their ministry in Ireland in 1856. In addition to their work in Ireland, Irish Oblates have been sent as missionaries to Africa, South America, Asia, the United States, and Canada. Oblates have also assisted in the pastoral ministry at Our Lady of Knock Shrine.