We visited the Chapel of the Apparition, on the very spot where Our Lady, our Lord (as the Lamb of God), St. Joseph, and St. John the Evangelist appeared, on a rainy day in 1879.
Afterwards, we attended Mass in the enormous basilica, which was filled to capacity. There were a great many members of the Franciscan order there, including secular Franciscans, as they were celebrating an anniversary of some kind.
I began writing a blog post describing my thoughts and feelings on the day, but then found myself deleting what I'd written. Right now, it all seems too personal and inchoate. Perhaps I will write about it at some time in the future. In the meantime, here are some pictures my wife took. The first picture shows a section of the original gable wall before which the apparitions appeared.
I like the ones of the actual apparition site,the shadows created by the beams,perhaps the very thing other photographers try to avoid,attracts me to the images. There's always something special about light shining a different way.
ReplyDeleteKnock is where my great grandfather was baptized, and the place where I experienced my first deep call to become Catholic. I’ve also been to Fatima, and while it was impressive it didn’t have the same feeling of holiness, to me, that Knock does.
ReplyDeleteFascinating! I had no idea. There was certainly a powerful atmosphere there, at least as far as I experienced it. A kind of primordialness.
DeleteDid you like statues out the back? They're my favourite part bar the gable wall. Did ye see the tame robin pottering about the hotel lobby? Sinéad.
ReplyDeleteI loved all the statues, although I'm not sure I saw them all. I had such a limited time. Which hotel lobby do you mean?
DeleteSigned I live Knock too and like the statues at the back too and I have seen the Robin! How did you arrange day trips?
DeleteIt was a parish trip, they organised it.
DeleteThe hotel in the grounds - there's a tame robin that potters around looking for food. The last time I stayed with the Alexian Brothers there. I hired a flat from them, really reasonable and stayed a few days. I went twice on day trips but the one I took on my own for a few days was such a blessing. I will go again for a few days. AND I BOUGHT YOUR BOOK THERE!!!
ReplyDeleteSinéad. :-D
Ah, I get it. He sounds like a dote.
DeleteKnock might be the only place in Ireland where you can buy my book!! I had to tell a visitor to Dublin, interested in buying it here, that there wasn't anywhere to do so. Even though I have tried to get Veritas to take it!
Happy 140th anniversary of the apparition!
ReplyDeleteThanks for alerting me!
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