Fifteen people, aged from six to seventy-five, watched for about two hours in the pouring rain. The ground beneath the vision stayed dry. Nobody spoke; Mary said nothing. Ireland was in the middle of poverty, evictions and the fear of another famine, and the silent vision seemed to say simply: you are not forgotten. Pope John Paul II visited Knock for its centenary in 1979, and in 2021 Pope Francis declared it an international Marian and Eucharistic shrine.
Historical Context
The Lamb on the altar points to the Eucharist and to Christ, “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” Mary, as always, points beyond herself.
A Prayer to Our Lady of Knock
Our Lady of Knock, Queen of Ireland,
you came to your people in a time of hunger and fear,
and you said nothing, but you stayed.
Stay with me now in my troubles.
Pray for my family, for the sick, and for those who have lost their faith.
Lead me, as you led your children at Knock, to the Lamb of God.
St Joseph and St John, pray for us.
Amen.
For Ireland
Our Lady of Knock, watch over the people of Ireland at home and abroad.
Renew the faith of your land.
Amen.
For the Sick
Mother of God, many sick pilgrims have come to Knock.
Pray for (name), who is ill.
Amen.
Best Times for This Prayer
- On 17 August, the feast of Our Lady of Knock.
- On 21 August, the anniversary of the apparition.
- On a pilgrimage to Knock, or for Irish family members.
Scripture Connection
“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” — John 1:29
St John the Evangelist stood beside the Lamb at Knock, the same Lamb he wrote about in his Gospel and in Revelation. The whole vision points to Christ.
Related prayers
For Ireland’s saints, see the St Brigid Prayer. For Mary, the Prayer to the Blessed Mother Never Known to Fail and Black Madonna Prayer.