| Our Lady of Knock Eighth window on the left side of the Church On August 21, 1979, Our Lady, St. Joseph, and St. John the Evangelist appeared on the south gable wall of the parish church in the little town of Knock, Co. Mayo, in the west of Ireland. The apparition, which began at 8 p.m., reportedly lasted for two hours in a torrential rain and was viewed by fifteen people, young and old, who knelt in the rain saying the rosary. There was no message or voice at Knock, just the image of Mary wearing a large white cloak fastened at the neck, a brilliant crown on her head, with her hands and eyes raised to heaven in prayer. On her right was St. Joseph, head bowed, and on her left was St. John the Evangelist (the parish patron), dressed as a bishop, book in hand, right hand raised as in preaching. Besides the images of Mary, Joseph, and John, an altar with a cross and the figure of the lamb was to their right. All of these images are shown in our window. The top medallion presents the Cross, the Lamb, and the altar as the "Victim of Sacrifice." The main window is of the apparition and the third section is an image of the parish church itself, a small church still in use by the parish, alongside a modern chapel built out from the south gable wall and a huge basilica erected in time for a visit from Pope John Paul II on September 30, 1979. The last image of the window is an ancient Celtic Cross superimposed upon the small island of Ireland, referring to its faithfulness to the Catholic faith and to Mary as Our Lady of Ireland. Our Lady of Knock, pray for us |
