You might think that important places of pilgrimage are on the other side of the world. However, the Marian Shrine of Knock is a famous Catholic pilgrimage site in County Mayo in western Ireland and a lot closer to get to! Arrive straight into Knock with Irish Airports at https://irelandwestairport.com/
An estimated 1.5 million pilgrims from all over Ireland and the entire world flock to the temple every year to pray in the place where Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, is said to have appeared in August 1879.
After the apparition, miraculous healing was reported. The first was Delia Gordon, a 12-year-old girl who was deaf and experienced terrible pain. It was said that her parents took her to the temple where she knelt in front of the place where the sighting was seen. Her mother took a piece of cement from the wall, blessed it and put it in her daughter’s ear. The pain immediately left and she was no longer deaf. Since that apparition, pilgrims have come to Knock to seek healing, reconciliation and peace. Some of them pray for healing.
This story began on August 21, 1879, when 15 people from the village witnessed Mary’s apparition on the gable wall of the parish church. They said that she appeared with St. Joseph, St. John the Evangelist, a sheep and a cross. They watched in two hours of heavy rain, reading the Rosary, Mary’s prayer.
The story is that the observers were drenched with rain but the saddle walls and sightings remained dry. Witnesses, aged between five and 74, gave their testimony to the Commission of Inquiry later in 1879. They found their words “trustworthy and satisfying”.
In 1936, the second Commission of Inquiry heard from two surviving witnesses, Mary O’Connell and Patrick Byrne. Mary O’Connell ended her vow statement with the words: “I am clear about everything I say and I make this statement knowing I am going before my God.” She died that year too.
Spiritual Destinations to Visit
Knock Shrine – The Knock Shrine in County Mayo is a world-renowned pilgrimage site for the Roman Catholic church and the only shrine in the world where God’s sheep appeared with the Virgin Mary, along with St. Joseph and St. John the evangelist.
Place of Father Peyton – The Father Peyton CSC Memorial Centre, located in Attymass in the county and is a popular destination for both  pilgrims and tourists alike. Father Peyton is one of the most famous pastors in Ireland and is internationally known as the Rosary Priest.
Franciscans Rossnowlagh Monastery – This Franciscan Friary at Rosnowlagh is another popular Roman Catholic pilgrimage destination, located in nearby County Donegal. It is a welcoming place for anyone seeking peace, tranquility and reconciliation and is a popular destination for visitors and pilgrims.
St. Ignatius Rice – From an early age Edmund Rice had shown kindness to Waterford’s poor people. He was famous and loved because of his kindness and concern for young people on the streets at that time. He also employed most of the poor on his ship in Waterford.
Mount Melleray Monastery – Mount Melleray Monastery, built in 1833, is a Trappist monastery in the area. It can be found on the slopes of the Knockmealdown Mountains in the Waterford Diocese.
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