Deepertruth: Journey with Mary as we travel to Knock Ireland

The story of Knock Ireland's famouse apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary began on the evening of August 21, 1879. Mary McLoughlin, the housekeeper to the parish priest of Knock, Co Mayo, was astonished to see the outside south wall of the church bathed in a mysterious light; there were three figures standing in front of the wall, which she mistook for replacements of the stone figures destroyed in a storm.

She rushed through the rain to her friend Margaret Byrne's house. After a half-hour, Mary decided to leave, and Margaret's sister agreed to walk home with her.

As they passed the church they saw an amazing vision very clearly: standing out from the gable and to the west of it appeared the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph and St. John. The figure of Mary was life-sized, while the others seemed to be neither as large nor as tall.

They stood a little away from the gable wall, about two feet from the ground. The Virgin was erect with her eyes toward Heaven, and she was wearing a large white cloak hanging in full folds. On her head was a large crown.

From Irish Central