Although our Blessed Mother, Mary, never spoke a single word in this apparition.  Her visit spoke and continues to speak volumes to us, if we will listen with our hearts.

A poor parish church was built in Knock, Ireland in 1829.  It was a small, stone church that could accommodate about 30 people.  And, it was dedicated to St. John the Baptist (the one who heralded the coming of Jesus Christ).  The village of Knock is situated three hours west of Dublin and one hour north of Galway, in the Irish county of Mayo.  Next to the church, lie a rectory, a small school for boys and another for girls.  The parish grounds which is the center of the village is surrounded by a stonewall. 

Failing crops and poor potato harvests were keeping the Irish villagers, and the entire country, economically depressed.  It was so bad throughout the 1800’s, that by 1879, farmers were barely scratching out a living.  Another ruined potato crop that year only foretold greater hunger and misery.  The famine was continuous; and people were dying not only from starvation, but also from all the hardships that accompany extended poverty.

An Archdeacon, Bartholomew Cavanah, came to the church in 1867 to work as parish priest.  He was a saintly man, deeply devoted to Our Lady of The Immaculate Conception.  He would graciously sacrifice his own material goods to help the poor and famine stricken.  And, he never acquired a bank account because everything went to the poor.  So, too, did Fr. Cavanah consider the poor souls in Purgatory.  Recognizing the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Mother of God, and Mother of all God’s children, he requested Her petitions, also, for those in Purgatory.  In fact, a few months before the apparition in Knock, the Archdeacon began to say 100 masses for the poor souls whom Our Lady wished most to be released.  Amazingly, it was on the day that the one hundredth mass was said, that Our Lady came to visit Knock – on the evening of August 21, 1879. This was a wonderful gift that expressed the gratitude of Our Lady and of souls released into Heaven.

On Thursday, August 21, the countryside was covered with heavy clouds.  Fr. Cavanah went to visit parishioners in outlying districts.  During his return that evening, a thick drizzle drenched his clothing and dampened the village on into the night.  His housekeeper, Mary McLoughlin, made a fire for him to dry his clothes, and then she left the house to visit a nearby friend, Mary Beirne.

As she passed the church, she briefly noticed some strange figures and an altar beneath the church’s southwest gable.  There appeared to be a strange light about them, which the woman attributed to light shining through the thick mist.  She quickly dismissed the figures from her mind, thinking perhaps the pastor had ordered some new statues.

About the same time, another member of the Beirne family, Margaret Beirne, arrived at the church to lock it up for the evening.  She, too, noticed a strange brightness coming from the southwestern side of the church.  But, in a hurry to return to dry quarters, she looked no further, nor did she mention the unusual glow that night to anyone.  When Mary McLoughlin, the housekeeper, completed her visit, her friend, Mary Beirne, accompanied her back toward the church.  They were discussing and assuming the figures were new statues illuminated by light.  But as they came closer Mary Beirne exclaimed, “But they are not statues, they’re moving. It is the Blessed Virgin!”

Beneath the southwest gable of the church, three figures were standing above the tall, uncut grass.  The two women realized these could not be statues because the beings hovered over the grassy meadow beneath them.  All three were wearing white garments that glistened, as with silver.  A bright, golden light surrounded them, as well as, an altar that was positioned somewhat behind them and faced west.  Upon the altar sat a lamb, and above the lamb rose a large, white cross.  Six angels with moving wings encircled the altar and cross. 

At some point in time, Mary Beirne rushed to neighbors in the vicinity and beckoned them to come and see the “wonderful sight!”  Soon, thirteen others joined them to watch and pray before the heavenly apparition.  Those who witnessed the event all claimed it was the Blessed Virgin Mary with St. Joseph on her right and St. John, the Evangelist, on her left.

Mary wore a pure, white cloak and a beautiful gold crown.  Centered on the crown, above her forehead, shone a golden rose in full bloom.  Her hands were uplifted, as though in prayer.  A gray-bearded St. Joseph stood next to her with his head bent forward from the shoulders.  St. John stood on her left holding a book of the Gospels.  He was clothed in bishop’s attire and appeared to be preaching.  Yet, none of them spoke a word throughout the entire two-hour visit. 

The oldest of the 15 visionaries was Bridget Trench, 75 years old.  She walked directly to the vision, and reached out through the pouring rain to kiss the feet of Mary, Our Lady.  Bridget’s attempt, however, was encountered only by air (as Mary seemed to withdraw slightly).  As Bridget’s hands, and bowed head, crossed over into an area (the area of the apparition), she dropped to her knees and fell onto dry grass.  Within this area, her body was left untouched by a single drop of rain.  Later, she said, “I do not understand why I could not feel them with my hands, such as I beheld them with my eyes.”

The fifteen visionaries remained fixed on the luminous visitation for the two full hours.  They prayed the rosary together.  Later, the apparition vanished. 

During the weeks and months that followed the apparition, the entire village kept asking, ‘why had the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to them?’  Crowds of people began to flow into the village of Knock.  Numerous healings took place, and several of these were traced to the (application of) cement taken from the apparition gable and wall.  Eventually, so much cement had been removed that the wall was in danger of collapsing.  Within the first three years following the visit of “Our Lady of Silence”, Archdeacon Cavanah recorded approximately 300 miraculous cures associated with the shrine at Knock!

In 1880, the first ecclesiastical commission approved the testimony of all 15 witnesses as “trustworthy and satisfactory”.  In 1936, confirmed evidence and hundreds of testimonies of miraculous cures were sent to Rome.  The apparition at Knock was given full approval and recognition of the Roman Catholic Church, such as other famous Marian apparitions (e.g. Fatima, Lourdes, and LaSalette).

Symbols (meanings and messages derived from the apparition):

Mary, crowned and praying:  doing herself what she urges in all her apparitions (pray!).  A golden rose above her forehead recalls the Rosary, a powerful and beloved prayer.

St. Joseph: Patron saint of the Universal Church, and for its workers.  Clothed in white for purity and honoring the Holy Mother of God.

St. John:  preaching from an open book (like the bible), clothed as a bishop - both symbolize the Apostolic Church and its primary mission of preaching the Gospel.

The Lamb and Cross above an Altar: the holy sacrifice of the Mass (Christ’s death for our salvation).

Date of Aug. 21:  foreshadows Pope Pius XII’s declaration of August 22 as the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  August 21 marks the date of the Vigil night, as well as, the feast day of “Our Lady of Knock”, “Our Lady of Silence”.