Knock continues to draw crowds of pilgrims

All generations and nationalities gather at Marian Shrine

135 years after the original apparitions, some 150,000 pilgrims have descended on Knock for the annual novena. This year, the theme is ‘Witness to hope’ and particular focus has been placed on the original witnesses who saw the apparition in 1879.

The shrine occupies a very special place in the heart of Irish Catholicism. When now-saint Pope John Paul II visited Ireland on his historic 1979 trip, he described Knock as “the goal of my pilgrimage”.

People come to Knock for a variety of reasons. Some don’t even know why they’ve made the journey. Speaking to pilgrims this week, under the shadow of the towering basilica, some of the words that spontaneously come to their lips are ‘spiritual’, ‘peaceful’, and ‘special’.

One woman tells me that she has come in thanksgiving after successful treatment for cancer. Another man is here for thanksgiving too, but he’s a bit more cryptic. “Our Lady helped me out of a hole recently,” he says. “She’s never let me down.” Another young woman says it’s simply “a special intention”.

Diversity

The diversity that immigration has brought to the Church in Ireland is evident, with Catholics from Central Europe, Africa, and the Philippines mingling with the native Irish.

A priest tells me that he has been coming to Knock to hear confessions for many years. Near the basilica is the chapel of reconciliation, where priests are on hand to hear confessions and work closely with an on-site counselling service for pilgrims who need more than the consolation of the sacrament.

For many, Knock is a place of healing: Reports of physical healings are rare, but the same elderly priest tells me story after story of people who have come to Knock burdened and despairing and find rest for their weary souls at the shrine. He tells me one story of a woman who has felt alienated from the Church for almost 40 years after a bad experience with a priest. “Something brought her to Knock,” he says. “And here, years of hurt and pain flowed out. That’s the thing about Knock – it takes everything – you can leave all the pain, disappointment, and self-doubt here.”