The Pope on Friday night will deliver a special message via video link recognizing the Knock Shrine as an International Marian and Eucharistic Shrine.
By Lydia O’Kane
The message will be transmitted during the mass that will be celebrated by the Archbishop of Tuam, Michael Neary, and concelebrated by Fr. Richard Gibbons, Parish Priest and Rector of the Knock Shrine.
This tribute comes almost two and a half years after Pope Francis visited the Marian Shrine, located in western Ireland, during his Apostolic Visit to the country for the World Meeting of Families.
While there, he prayed in front of the Apparition Chapel for all the families in the world, and presented the Shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Knock with a golden rosary in recognition of the family rosary tradition in Ireland.
The apparition
The story of the apparition is deeply symbolic and unique, presenting the representation of the Eucharist as the risen Lord who appeared as the Lamb on the altar, standing before His Cross and surrounded by a host of angels.
On August 21, 1879, fifteen people in the village of Knock spent two hours in torrential rain reciting the Rosary before the scene of the Apparition, which also included Our Lady, St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist.
Joy and gratitude
Speaking before Friday’s Eucharistic celebration, Fr. Richard Gibbons said he was “thrilled and happy” with this recognition. “It is a great honor to be recognized in this way and what that means is, I think we have the most in terms of recognition from the Church.”
This special status is also being celebrated by the parishioners of Shine, who expressed their thanks to Pope Francis for honoring this Marian place of pilgrimage in this way.
Links to St Joseph
The National Sanctuary of Ireland is being honored at the feast of St. Joseph and on the day that Pope Francis celebrates his eight yearsº The anniversary of his inauguration as Pope, which Fr. Gibbons said, makes it all the more significant. He also noted that Pope Francis, when visiting this place of pilgrimage in 2018, understood “what the Sanctuary means to the Irish people and also the importance of the message”.
Our Lady of Knock
In addition to the Apostolic Visit, the Marian Shrine of Knock participated in the inaugural Mass “Sunday of the Word of God” presided over by Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Basilica in January 2020.
During the Eucharistic celebration, a new pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Knock, which was commissioned to celebrate the 140th anniversary of the apparition in Knock in 1879, was displayed on the papal altar.
The statue was blessed by the Pope in Rome in 2019 after his visit to Ireland.
International dimension
Asked if he expected to see more interest in the Sanctuary from abroad, due to its new international status, Fr. Gibbons said he received messages from people all over the world saying that when they are allowed to travel, they plan to come to Knock.
Knock Shrine in the middle of the pandemic
Ireland currently continues to adhere to level 5 blocking restrictions, which means that masses continue to be followed online. Speaking about how the Knock Sanctuary led during this pandemic, the Rector highlighted, in particular, one of these celebrations in November last year, which reminded all of those who died of COVID-19 on the island of Ireland. “In the Basilica, we had three thousand candles, one for each person who died, and more than 120,000 people joined us for that online mass,” he said.
As the Shrine is recognized with this special status, Fr Gibbons stressed that he will help this place of Marian pilgrimage to “look to the future full of hope”.
Within the scope of the three days of celebration of Saint Joseph, Pope Francis will speak by video at the 7:30 pm Mass on March 19; Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna, will speak at the 7:30 pm Mass on March 20; and to conclude the three days, Archbishop Michael Neary, Archbishop of Tuam, will speak at the 12:00 Mass on Sunday, March 21. (All times are local)
The Triduum will be broadcast live on the Knock Sanctuary website www.knockshrine.ie, and on Facebook @knockshrine on Friday, March 19, at 7:30 pm; Saturday, March 20, at 7:30 pm; and concluding on Sunday, March 21, at 12 noon.