knock shrine

Our Lady's Shrine Knock, is one of the great Marian shrines of the world, attracting over 1,500,000 visitors annually. It's an oasis of peace, tranquillity and deep spirituality where many who come to see, remain to pray and find reconciliation. On 30th September 1979, His Holiness Pope John Paul II came as a pilgrim to Knock Shrine, the goal of his journey to Ireland.
Knock is the scene of the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph and St. John on 21st August 1879, witnessed by fifteen local people. Ever since it has been a place of devotion and pilgrimage. Numerous miracles have been recorded at Knock. Private pilgrimages take place all year, with a special programme of ceremonies and devotions from April to October each yer.
The focal point of the Shrine is the gable of the apparition, on the west wall of the Church of St. John the Baptist, and the Shrine Oratory. Nearby is the basilica of Our Lady, Queen of Ireland (1976), the largest church in Ireland which can accommodate up to 20,000 people.