Throughout the summer months, Ireland is host to fine
food, music, art and song festivals. Mayo, on the Atlantic coast, is no
exception. This county has a stunning wild and desolate landscape that is
appreciated by photographers, writers and holiday visitors. It has coastal and
countryside walking, mountain climbing, golfing and bird watching. This is an
Irish language speaking area and is known for its marvellous heritage sites,
such as Neolithic stone circles and cairns, round towers and monastic ruins.
Long before the Christian era, pilgrimages were made to holy wells and mountains
which were venerated by processions and the reciting of incantations,
petitioning for requests and the giving of offerings to the Gods and Goddesses.
Every August Mayo celebrates a momentous modern
spiritual “happening”. The story began on the evening of August 21, 1879, when
Margaret Byrne was returning home from her local church, St Mary’s in Knock
village, with her friend, Mary McLoughlin. As Margaret and Mary walked and
talked together, they were attracted to a bright light coming from the church.
Mary exclaimed, “Oh! just look at those statues! Margaret! Why did no-one tell
me the church had bought new statues?" Margaret was perplexed by the strange
light and forms of figures in the distance, so they both decided to take a
closer look. As they approached the church, Mary exclaimed with immense
surprise, "But they’re not statues; they're moving! It's the Blessed
Virgin!”
Over the next two hours, fifteen local people, in
pouring rain, gathered around the south gable of the church. Each person
described seeing a beautiful woman standing between two men. On the woman’s
right was a man leaning with his head towards her, and on her left was a Bishop
holding a book and pointing to heaven. All three were dressed in white garments.
The woman was dressed in a cloak and on her head was a large brilliant crown
decorated with a golden rose. The vision has been described as the Virgin Mary,
standing with St. Joseph on her right and St. John the Evangelist on her left.
To St. John’s left, was an altar with a lamb and a cross. This entire group was
surrounded by thousands of angels.
A haymaker, a turf-cutter and other ordinary village
residents reported seeing a bright light in the direction of the church.
Inexplicable healings followed the sighting. In the year before her death, Mary
swore on the Bible that she had seen the tableau. There is a heritage museum in the town of Knock where
there are recreated rooms on display of the late 1800’s alongside handwritten
testimonies of those who received favors and healings from visiting the
shrine.
One and a half million pilgrims each year visit the
small compact village of Knock where the main N1 road crosses the R323. It is
possible to go into the tiny original church and touch the stone walling of the
south gable where the vision occurred. For general daily services and blessings,
a large modern white basilica with a piercing black spire has been built. On
special anniversaries, there are silent vigils where eating, drinking and
smoking are prohibited. In the centre of the village is a large processional
area called “The Rosary Way” where prayers to Mary are chanted and there is a
modern Jesus Calvary, where pilgrims meditate on the last days of his life
before he was crucified. Knock water is freely available from push-button taps
in the street and can be used for drinking or bathing. Not to be missed is the
old village cemetery where the witnesses to the vision are buried.
In the hotels, restaurants, shops and along pilgrim
tracks, the American accent is often heard amongst the many nationalities that
visit the shrine. One American, James Morrison, explains why he decided to visit
Knock. “My grandfather was born in Ireland and died last year at the age of 94
years old. His extended family sold whatever they had to raise his fare to
America. He worked on the skyscrapers of New York during the 1930’s when he was
a very young man. I loved my grandfather and wanted to pay my respects to his
heritage.”
Shirley Mathers decided to visit Knock despite the
inconvenience of a leg injury. Shirley explains “I was in a skiing accident and
dislocated my knee. Despite it being in plaster and then a knee brace, it kept
jumping out of alignment. It was desperately painful and seriously inconvenient”
Though Shirley is not a Catholic, like many non-Catholics, she still was
attracted to the idea of visiting Knock. She says, “When I heard about this
shrine from a work colleague, tears came to my eyes and I just knew I must go
there. I can see the mountain from my hotel balcony, and though several of us
cannot climb it, we will go in the coach with the others and pray for our and
their petitions. I am praying that I can develop patience with my incapacity”.
Shirley made the following comments on her return: “There was such a sense of
camaraderie on the coach. It touched my heart to see elderly and disabled people
putting my needs first. I have never seen such kindness in my life. The prayer
recitals and litanies put me into a relaxing slumber and I would doze off and
then awake feeling refreshed to hear them still praying for those who are
unwell.”
Shiela Mason from Australia comments, “Fortunately,
there are only a couple of shops in the village, but I must tell you, they sell
the funniest of mementos! One was a badly painted statue of Mary that played a
hymn when you picked it up and her halo lit up at the same time. I’ve never seen
anything like it!”
Within 45 miles of Knock is another celebrated place of
pilgrimage which dates back to pre-Christian times, the mountain of St Patrick,
known as ‘Croagh Patrick’. The route begins at Balintubber Abbey, where kings,
poets and hermits are buried in the beautiful grounds. This is the start of an
ancient chariot causeway that leads the pilgrim in the direction of the holy
mountain. Those walking this path share food, drink, conversation (and often
their umbrella) with other visitors. Few climb to the top of this conical shaped
mountain as it rises 762 meters above sea level and is a steep climb. Those who
do climb find it offers outstanding views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish
countryside. The best time to visit is on the last Sunday of July when there is
an annual Irish pilgrimage to ascend the mountain. 1,560 years ago, Saint
Patrick is said to have washed his food bowl in a stream that runs down this
mountain. In 1994, there was an archaeological dig of the croagh area and it was
discovered that there is a Celtic hill-fort on the mountain’s summit. The Celtic
Farrow Visitor Centre should not be missed as it explains the fascinating
history of this area.
Pilgrims on the Croagh Patrick route are supervised and
independent travellers are strongly advised to arrange for return transport as
it is a strenuous climb. Many of the organized tour operators have a resident
spiritual advisor. Father Morris, who is a regular visitor to the shrine, has
the following advice, “Many newcomers to pilgrimage come to receive a healing
and are disappointed. It is important to keep an open mind of the type of
blessing that can be received. Many pilgrims are searching and reaching out for
ways to contact something greater than themselves. They want to touch the divine
and receive an awareness of wholesomeness and peace. Some people are surprised
by the way their lives are changed. The healing can be one where the pilgrim
feels connected to the spirit of love and devotion, or maybe they gain an
acceptance or an understanding of things that can only be experienced and not
spoken about”. Article by Wendy Stokes www.wendystokes.co.uk
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