      Mary's appearances began in 40 AD, probablybefore she died, to James the Apostle in Saragossa, Spain. She has beenappearing to others at irregular intervals throughout the two thousand yearssince she gave birth to Jesus. The characteristics of her apparitions hasremained fairly consistent. She usually appears in a globe of pure white light,dressed in a long dress and head cover which vary in color depending on thecontent of her messages. Her feet are usually surrounded by a mist or cloud andshe occassionally is seen holding her Son in her arms. A number of herappearances are preceded by unusual phenomena such as observations of lightningand thunder from a clear sky, apparitions of angelic beings or clouds ofunusual shapes and religious significance such as a cross or a doorway as wellas other inexplicable events.

        The following is a brief overview of Mary's appearances throughout Christianhistory. It's meant to be representative of her apparitions and the eventssurrounding them but is not an all-inclusive listing:

        Our Lady of the Pillar - Saragossa, Spain (ca. 40 AD)
After the crucifixion , ressurection and ascension of Jesus, his Apostles beganto spread the message he left throughout Israel and shortly thereafter, throughthe Roman empire. One of these Apostles, James (the Greater), reportedlytravelled as far west as Spain to the village of Saragossa in northeast Spain.While James was there, he became disheartened because of the failure of hismission. Tradition holds that while he was deep in prayer Jesus' Blessed Motherappeared to him and gave him a small wooden statue of herself and a column ofjasper wood and instructed him to build a church in her honor:

        "This place is to be my house, and this image and column shall be the title andaltar of the temple that you shall build."

        The jasper column and the wooden statue can still be seen on special occassionsat a church that houses them. About a year after the apparition James arrangedto build a small chapel in Mary's honor, the first Church ever dedicated to thehonor of the Virgin Mary. After James returned to Jerusalem, he was executed byHerod Agrippa in about 44 AD, the first apostle to be martyred for hisfaith.

        Several of his disciples took his body and returned it for final burial inSpain. The local queen, observing several of the miracles performed by James'disciples, converted to Christianity and permitted James' body to be buried ina local field. Eight centuries later, a cathedral in honor of St. James waserected after his gravesite was rediscovered by a local hermit. The hermitfound the burial site after noticing an unusual star formation. The site forthe cathedral was called Compostella (starry field) and it is a majorpilgrimage site to this day.

Saint Mary Major - Rome, Italy (ca. 352 AD)
        With much of the Roman empire converted to Christianity, a number of piousRomans began to dedicate their wealth to honoring Mary and the Apostles bybuilding shrines and churches dedicated to them. One such nobleman, John ofRome, and his wife decided to honor Mary in whatever way they could. In earlyAugust, John and his wife both had an unusual dream where Mary appeared to themand asked them to have a church built on one of Rome's seven hills - theEsquiline. John decided to tell the Pope, Liberius, about his dream and when hedid the Pope told him that he, too, had a similar dream. On August 5th, theyboth went to Esquiline hill which they found covered with snow in a contourmatching the outline of a church. Construction on a church conforming to theoutline left by the snow was started immediately. The Bascilica of Santa MariaMaggiore in Rome, one of the largest churches on earth, celebrates its birth tothis day on August 5th.

Our Lady of Walsingham - Walsingham, England (ca. 1061)
        Mary's presence in England began with three visions received by Lady Richeldisde Faverches, a widow who lived in a manor in Walsingham. In these visions,Mary showed Lady de Faverches the house in Nazareth where the angel Gabrieltold Mary she would give birth to the Son of the Most High. The Blessed Motherasked Lady de Faverches to build a replica of her house in Nazareth dedicatedas a memorial to the Annunciation to Mary and the Incarnation of the Lord JesusChrist. Mary promised:

        "Let all who are in any way distressed or in need seek me there in that smallhouse that you maintain for me at Walsingham. To all that seek me there shallbe given succor."

        In the Middle Ages, Walsingham became one of the greatest pilgrimage sites inall of Europe. A church was constructed around the house to protect it from theelements. Many English kings conducted pilgrimages to Walsingham. The last ofthese was Henry VIII, who made three pilgrimages to the site before breakingwith the Catholic Church in 1534 and forming the Church of England. Henryordered the destruction of all Catholic shrines and places of religiousworship. The Walsingham church and house were destroyed in the rampage ofdestruction that occurred. The statue of Mary that resided in the house wasburned several years later.

        It was not until the 1920's that Walsingham' Holy House was rebuilt at thedirection of Alfred Patten, an Anglican priest. The Slipper Chapel, named inhonor of those who - in the Middle Ages - removed their shoes to walk barefootto the Holy House, a small Catholic chapel located near the Holy House hadmanaged to escape the destruction of the Reformation. This chapel became theCatholic Shrine of Our Lady in England. Both sites have become activepilgrimage sites once again.

Our Lady of the Rosary - Prouille, France (1208)
        Domingo de Guzman was aSpanish preacher who went to southern France to oppose the Albegesian heresywhich was spreading rapidly. In 1208, while he was praying at a chapel inProuille, Mary appeared to him and gave him the Rosary and urged him to preachthe Rosary to all people as a remedy against heresy and sin. The factual basisfor this series of events is questionable. Nonetheless, Domingo (Dominic)founded an order of preaching friars who went on to halt the Albegesian heresyand establish monasteries all over the world. The order is commonly referred toas the Dominicans.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel - Aylesford, England (1251)
        Mary's continuinginfluence on the development of Christianity in England becomes apparent againwith her appearance to Simon Stock, who became a member of the religous orderof Our Lady of Mount Carmel while on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. In herappearance to Friar Stock, Mary entrusted him with the brown scapular (twopieces of brown woolen cloth, usually embroidered with an outline of Our Ladyof Mount Carmel, and tied together by string and worn over the shoulders) :

        "My beloved son receive this scapular for your Order. It is the special sign ofa privilege which I have obtained for you and for all God's children who honorme as Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Those who die devotedly clothed with thisscapular shall be preserved from eternal fire.

        The brown scapular is a badge of salvation. The brown scapular is a shield intime of danger. The brown scapular ia a pledge of peace and special protection,until the end of time."

        After this apparition, Friar Stock went on to establish Carmelite communitiesnear university towns in England, France and Italy. He became theSuperior-General of his order several years after the apparition. Until veryrecently, the brown scapular was one of the most widely used religious symbolsof personal dedication to the mission of Mary found in her last recorded wordsin the Bible (John 2:5). The promotion and use of all types of Mariandevotional symbols has declined dramatically since the 1960's.

The Black Madonna - Czestochowa, Poland (1382)
        The Black Madonna is apainting of the Madonna and Christ Child which legend states was painted by St.Luke the Evangelist. St. Luke is believed to have used a tabletop from a tablebuilt by the carpenter Jesus. It was while Luke was painting Mary that she toldhim about the events in the life of Jesus that he eventually incorporated inhis gospel. The painting shows up again in 326 AD when St. Helen located it inJerusalem while on a pilgrimage there. She gave the painting to her son,Constantine, who had a shrine built in Constantinople to house it. In acritical battle with the Saracens, the portrait was displayed from the walls ofthe city and the Saracens were subsequently routed. The portrait was creditedwith saving the city.

        The painting was eventually owned by Charlemagne who subsequently presented itto Prince Leo of Ruthenia (northwest Hungary). It remained at the royal palacein Ruthenia until an invasion occurred in the eleventh century. The king prayedto Our Lady to aid his small army and as a rsult of his prayers a darknessdescended on the enemy troops who, in their confusion, began attacking oneanother. Ruthenia was saved as a result of this intervention. In the fourteenthcentury, it was transferred to the Mount of Light (Jasna Gora) in Poland inresponse to a request made ina dream of Prince Ladislaus of Opola.

        This legendary history becomes better documented with the painting's ownershipby Prince Ladislaus. In 1382 invading Tartars attacked the Prince's fortress atBelz. In this attack one of the Tartar arrows hit the painting and lodged inthe throat of the Madonna. The Prince, fearing that he and the famous paintingmight fall to the Tartars, fled in the night finally stopping in the town ofCzestochowa, where the painting was installed in a small church. The Princesubsequently had a Pauline monastery and church built to ensure the painting'ssafety. In 1430, the Hussites overran the monastery and attempted to take theportrait. One of the looters twice struck the painting with his sword butbefore he could strike another blow he fell to the floor writhing in agony anddied. Boththe sword cuts and the arrow wound are still visible in the painting.

        Later, in 1655, Poland was almost entirely overrun by the forces of Sweden'sKing Charles X. Only the area around the monastery remained unconquered.

        Somehow, the monks of the monastery succesfully defended the portrait against aforty day seige and eventually all of Poland was able to drive out theinvaders.

        After this remarkable turn of events, the Lady of Czestochowa became the symbolof Polish national unity and was crowned Queen of Poland. The King of Polandplaced the country under the protection of the Blessed Mother. A more recentlegend surrounding the painting involves the threat of a Russian invasion. In1920, the Russian army was seen massing on the banks of the Vistula river,threatening Warsaw, when an image of the Virgin was seen in the clouds over thecity. The Russian troops withdrew on seeing the image.

        There have been reports for centuries of miraculous events such as spontaneoushealings occuring to those who made a pilgrimage to the portrait. It is knownas the 'Black Madonna" because of the soot residue that discolors the painting.The soot is the result of centuries of votive lights and candles burning infront of the painting. With the decline of communism in Poland, pilgrimages tothe Black Madonna have increased dramatically.

Our Lady of Guadalupe - Guadalupe, Mexico (1531)
        The opening of the NewWorld brought with it both fortune-seekers and religous preachers desiring toconvert the native populations to the Christian faith. One of the converts wasa poor Aztec indian named Juan Diego. On one of his trips to the chapel, Juanwas walking through the Tepayac hill country in central Mexico. Near TepayacHill he encountered a beautiful woman surrounded by a ball of light as brightas the sun. Speaking in his native tongue, the beautiful lady identifiedherself:

        "My dear little son, I love you. I desire you to know who I am. I am theever-virgin Mary, Mother of the true God who gives life and maintains itsexistence. He created all things. He is in all places. He is Lord of Heaven andEarth. I desire a church in this place where your people may experience mycompassion. All those who sincerely ask my help in their work and in theirsorrows will know my Mother's Heart in this place. Here I will see their tears;I will console them and they will be at peace. So run now to Tenochtitlan andtell the Bishop all that you have seen and heard."

        Juan, age 57, and who had never been to Tenochtitlan, nonetheless immediatelyresponded to Mary's request. He went to the palace of the Bishop-elect FrayJuan de Zumarraga and requested to meet immediatly with the bishop. Thebishop's servants, who were suspicious of the rural peasant, kept him waitingfor hours.

        The bishop-elect told Juan that he would consider the request of the Lady andtold him he could visit him again if he so desired. Juan was disappointed bythe bishop's response and felt himself unworthy to persuade someone asimportant as a bishop. He returned to the hill where he had first met Mary andfound her there waiting for him. Imploring her to send someone else, sheresponded:

        "My little son, there are many I could send. But you are the one I havechosen."

        She then told him to return the next day to the bishop and repeat the request.On Sunday, after again waiting for hours, Juan met with the bishop who, onre-hearing his story, asked him to ask the Lady to provide a sign as a proof ofwho she was. Juan dutifully returned to the hill and told Mary, who was againwaiting for him there, of the bishop's request. Mary responded:

        "My little son, am I not your Mother? Do not fear. The Bishop shall have hissign. Come back to this place tomorrow. Only peace, my little son."

        Unfortunately, Juan was not able to return to the hill the next day. His unclehad become mortally ill and Juan stayed with him to care for him. After twodays, with his uncle near death, Juan left his side to find a priest. Juan hadto pass Tepayac Hill to get to the priest. As he was passing, he found Marywaiting for him. She spoke:

        "Do not be distressed, my littlest son. Am I not here with you who am yourMother? Are you not under myshadow and protection? Your uncle will not die atthis time. There is no reason for you to engage a priest, for his health isrestored at this moment. He is quite well. Go to the top of the hill and cutthe flowers that are growing there. Bring them then to me."

        While it was freezing on the hillside, Juan obeyed Mary's instructions and wentto the top of the hill where he found a full bloom of Castilian roses. Removinghis tilma, a poncho-like cape made of cactus fiber, he cut the roses andcarried them back to Mary. She rearranged the roses and told him:

        "My little son, this is the sign I am sending to the Bishop. Tell him that withthis sign I request his greatest efforts to complete the church I desire inthis place. Show these flowers to no one else but the Bishop. You are mytrusted ambassador. This time the Bishop will believe all you tell him."

        At the palace, Juan once again came before the bishop and several of hisadvisors. He told the bishop his story and opened the tilma letting the flowersfall out. But it wasn't the beautiful roses that caused the bishop and hisadvisors to fall to their knees; for there, on the tilma, was a picture of theBlessed Virgin Mary precisely as Juan had described her. The next day, aftershowing the Tilma at the Cathedral, Juan took the bishop to the spot where hefirst met Mary. He then returned to his village where he met his uncle who wascompletely cured. His uncle told him he had met a young woman, surrounded by asoft light, who told him that she had just sent his nephew to Tenochtitlan witha picture of herself. She told his uncle:

        "Call me and call my image Santa Maria de Guadalupe".

        It's believed that the word Guadalupe was actually a Spanish mis-translation ofthe local Aztec dialect. The word that Mary probably used was Coatlallope whichmeans "one who treads on snakes"! Within six years of this apparition, sixmillion Aztecs had converted to Catholicism. The tilma shows Mary as theGod-bearer - she is pregnant with her Divine Son. Since the time the tilma wasfirst impressed with a picture of the Mother of God, it has been subject to avariety of environmental hazards including smoke from fires and candles, waterfrom floods and torrential downpours and, in 1921, a bomb which was planted byanti-clerical forces on an altar under it. There was also a cast-iron crossnext to the tilma and when the bomb exploded, the cross was twisted out ofshape, the marble altar rail was heavily damaged and the tilma was...untouched!Indeed, no one was injured in the Church despite the damage that occurred to alarge part of the altar structure.

        In 1977, the tilma was examined using infrared photography and digitalenhancement techniques. Unlike any painting, the tilma shows no sketching orany sign of outline drawn to permit an artist to produce a painting. Further,the very method used to create the image is still unknown. The image isinexplicable in its longevity and method of production. It can be seen today ina large cathedral built to house up to ten thousand worshipers. It is, by far,the most popular religious pilgrimage site in the Western Hemisphere.

        In 2002, Pope John Paul II named him Saint Juan Diego, the world's first Aztecsaint.

Our Lady of Lavang - La'Vang, Vietnam (1798)
        During much of the 18thcentury, the nation of Vietnam was embattled in various struggles for power anddomination. The northern regions of the kingdom fell under the authority of thelords of the Trinh family, while in the southern realm the Nguyen lords tookpower. As the eighteenth century drew toward its close, both of their ruleswere shaken and threatened by peasant uprisings and emerging rebel forces.

        The strongest among the many uprisings was led by the three brothers from TaySon. In short order, they overthrew the Nguyen lords and defeated the Trinhlords to restore national unity for the first time since the decline of the Ledynasty. A Tay Son brother was enthroned to be King Quang Trung. In 1792 hepassed away and left the throne to his son who became King CanhThinh.Meanwhile, Nguyen Anh continued his insurgency in trying to reclaim histhrone. Earlier in his run from the Tay Son rebels in 1777, he found refuge onPhu Quoc Island, where Monsignor Pierre Pigneau de Behaine of the Society ofForeign Missions directed a seminary for youths from neighboring countries. Thebishop persuaded him to seek help from King Louis XVI of France.

        King Canh Thinh knew that Nguyen Anh received support from the Frenchmissionary and worried that the Vietnamese Catholics would also endorse hisreign. He began to restrict the practice of Catholicism in the country. OnAugust 17, 1798, King Canh Thinh issued an anti-Catholic edict and an order todestroy all Catholic churches and seminaries. A most grievous persecution ofVietnamese Catholics and missionaries began and lasted until 1886. Even afterNguyen Anh succeeded in reclaiming his throne as King Gia Long (1802-1820), hissuccessors, King Minh Mang (1820-1840), King Thieu Tri (1841-1847) and King TuDuc (1847-1884), the last Nguyen emperor, continued the vehement campaignagainst Catholics, ordering punishments that ranged from branding their facesto death by various cruel methods for Vietnamese Catholics and missionarypriests.

        It was amidst this great suffering that the Lady of Lavang came to the peopleof Vietnam. The name Lavang was believed to be originated in the name of thedeep forest in the central region of Vietnam (now known as Quang Tri City)where there was an abundance of a kind of trees named La' Vang. It was alsosaid that its name came from the Vietnamese meaning of the word "Crying Out" todenote the cries for help of people being persecuted.

        The first apparition of the Lady of Lavang was noted in 1798, when thepersecution of Vietnamese Catholics began. Many Catholics from the nearby townof Quang Tri sought refuge in the deep forest of Lavang. A great number ofthese people suffered from the bitter cold weather, lurking wild beasts, junglesickness and starvation. At night, they often gathered in small groups to saythe rosary and to pray. Unexpectedly, one night they were visited by anapparition of a beautiful Lady in a long cape, holding a child in her arms,with two angels at her sides. The people recognized the Lady as Our BlessedMother.

        Our Blessed Mother comforted them and told them to boil the leaves from thesurrounding trees to use as medicine. She also told them that from that day on,all those who came to this place to pray, would get their prayers heard andanswered. This took place on the grass area near the big ancient banyan treewhere the refugees were praying. All those who were present witnessed thismiracle. After this first apparition, the Blessed Mother continued to appear tothe people in this same place many times throughout the period of nearly onehundred years of religious persecution. Among many groups of VietnameseCatholics that were burnt alive because of their faith was a group of 30 peoplewho were seized after they came out of their hiding place in the forest ofLavang. At their request, they were taken back to the little chapel of Lavangand were immolated there on its ground.

        From the time the Lady of Lavang first appeared, the people who took refugethere erected a small and desolate chapel in her honor. During the followingyears, her name was spread among the people in the region to other places.Despite its isolated location in the high mountains, groups of people continuedto find ways to penetrate the deep and dangerous jungle to pray to the Lady ofLavang. Gradually, the pilgrims that came with axes, spears, canes, and drumsto scare away wild animals were replaced by those holding flying flags, flowersand rosaries. The pilgrimages went on every year despite the continuouspersecution campaigns.

        In 1886, after the persecution had officially ended, Bishop Gaspar ordered achurch to be built in honor of the Lady of Lavang. Because of its precariouslocation and limited funding, it took 15 years for the completion of the churchof Lavang. It was inaugurated by Bishop Gaspar in a solemn ceremony thatparticipated by over 12,000 people and lasted from August 6th to 8th, 1901. Thebishop proclaimed the Lady of Lavang as the Protectorate of the Catholics. In1928, a larger church was built to accommodate the increasing number ofpilgrims. This church was destroyed in the summer of 1972 during the Vietnamwar.

        The history of the Lady of Lavang continues to gain greater significance asmore claims from people whose prayers were answered were validated. In April of1961, the Council of Vietnamese Bishops selected the holy church of Lavang asthe National Sacred Marian Center . In August of 1962, Pope John XXIII elevatedthe church of Lavang to The Basilica of Lavang. On June 19, 1988, Pope JohnPaul II in the canonizing ceremony of the 117 Vietnamese martyrs, publicly andrepeatedly recognized the importance and significance of the Lady of Lavang andexpressed a desire for the rebuilding of the Lavang Basilica to commemorate the200th anniversary of the first apparition of the Lady of Lavang in August of1998.

Text provided courtesy of Kim-Oanh Nguyen-Lam
Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal - Paris, France (1830)
        In the summer of 1830, a24 year old novice of the Sisters of Charity was awakened by a young child,about five years old, dressed in white who called to her:

        "Catherine, Catherine, wake up. Come to the chapel; the Blessed Virgin iswaiting for you."

        Catherine Laboure, who had expressed a strong desire to meet the BlessedVirgin, decided to follow the child down to the chapel. The candles wereburning as if at a midnight Mass. About a half-hour later, at midnight, sheheard a noise that sounded like the rustle of a silk dress. When she looked upshe saw a beautiful young woman surrounded by a blaze of white light sitting inthe Father Director's chair. The child who brought her to the chapel told her:"Here is the Blessed Virgin!" Catherine fell to her knees and placed her handson Mary's lap.

        Mary tod her: "My child, the good God wishes to charge you with a mission. Youwill have much to suffer, but you will rise above these sufferings byreflecting that what you do is for the glory of God. You will know what thegood God wants. You will be tormented until you have told him who is in chargedwith directing you. You will be contradicted, but do not fear, you will havegrace. Tell with confidence all that passes within you. Tell it withsimplicity. Have confidence. Do not be afraid."

        During this discourse with the Blessed Mother, Catherine was warned of direfuture occurrences. Mary told her:

        "The times are very evil. Sorrows will befall France; the throne will beoverturned. The whole world will be plunged into every kind of misery."

        After this apparition Catherine had written down "in forty years" whenreferring to this prophecy. Five months later, in November, Catherineexperienced another apparition. In this event Mary appeared dressed entirely inwhite holding a ball topped with a little golden cross. The ball, she was told,represented the whole world, especially France, and each person in particular.Mary stood on a white globe with a green serpent under her feet on the globe.After a moment, an oval shape formed around the Blessed Virgin, and on it werewritten these words in gold: `O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us whohave recourse to thee.'

        Upon seeing this vision, Catherine heard a voice say: "Have a medal struckafter this model. Those who wear it will receive great graces; abundant graceswill be given to those who have confidence." At this point, the oval seemed toturn and Catherine saw the reverse of the medal: the letter M surmounted by across, and below it two hearts, one crowned with a crown of thorns, and theother pierced by a sword.

        After hearing all of her accounts of these apparitions, her spiritual director,Father Aladel, still had doubts as to their veracity. He met with the localarchbishop and after due deliberation the archbishop authorized that the medalsbe struck since he found nothing contrary to the Faith in anything Catherinesaid or experienced. Within months there were a flood of reported cures andspiritual conversions attributed to the medal; so much so that it came to becalled the Miraculous Medal. Catherine went back to a life of obscurity in theSisters of Charity once the medal had been fashioned and died in 1876. By thetime of her death there were millions of Miraculous Medals being worn by thedevout all over the world.

Our Lady of Lourdes - Lourdes, France (1858)
        Mary appeared to animpovershed, emaciated fourteen year old girl who lived in the Pyrenees at atime of turmoil in France. On Thursday, February 11th, Bernadette Soubirous,her sister Marie and another friend had gone to a nearby river to gatherfirewood. While Marie and her friend crossed the river to search the otherside, Bernadette stayed on dry land. While searching for wood she heard a loudnoise like the sound of a storm coming from a nearby grotto known asMassabielle. At the mouth of the grotto was a rosebush which was moving as ifit were windy, which it was not. From the interior of the grotto she saw agolden-colored cloud, and soon after a Lady, young and beautiful who came andplaced herself at the entrance of the opening above the rosebush. The Ladysmiled at Bernadette and motioned for her to advance. Bernadette lost any fearshe may have had and fell to her knees to pray the Rosary. After both she andthe Lady completed these prayers (with the Lady only said the Lord's prayer andthe Gloria), the Lady slowly withdrew to the interior of the grotto anddisappeared.

        Bernadette experienced eighteen visitations from Mary over a six month periodnever knowing who the Lady was until the last apparition. During theapparitions, Mary instructed Bernadette to dig a hole in the ground and drinkand bathe in it. The hole later turned into a spring of water which Marypromised would be a healing spring for all who came to use its waters. Maryalso asked Bernadette to tell the local pastor, Cure Peyramale to have a chapelbuilt in honor of her appearances there. The Cure accused Bernadette of lyingabout the apparitions and told her to find out from the Lady just who she wasand demanded from her that she perform a miracle by making the rosebush in thegrotto bloom. On March 25th, the Feast of the Annunciation, Mary answered theCure's request when she told Bernadette, who had only received a rudimentaryreligious education, "Que soy era Immaculado Conceptiou" (I am the ImmaculateConception). Mary, with these words, confirmed what the Pope had declared asofficial Catholic Church doctrine just four years earlier - a highly unlikelyfact to be known by an uneducated fourteen year old in rural France.

        The apparitions were declared authentic in 1862 and Lourdes rapidly became oneof the world's major pilgrimage sites.Thousands have been cured from a varietyof illnesses, both physical and spiritual, and a clinic to support the millionsof pilgrims who come to Lourdes operates to this day. Bernadette returned to alife of obscurity. She became one of the Sisters of Notre Dame in Nevers anddied there in 1879 after a long and painful illness. She was declared a saintin 1933, not because of the apparitions, but because of her dedication to alife of simplicity and service.

Our Lady of Knock - Knock, Ireland (1879)
        County Mayo was in thecenter of a region of Ireland that had suffered great distress in the 1870's.Various famines and economic dislocations produced by forced evictions hadcreated yet another wave of Irish immigration. It was into this environmentthat the Lord again sent His Mother to visit with His oppressed children.

        August 21st, 1879 was another rain-swept day in County Mayo. As eveningarrived, Margaret Beirne, a resident of the village of Cnoc Mhuire, was sent byher brother to lock up the local church for the evening. After she hadcompleted this task, as she was returning home she noticed a strange brightnesscovering the church. However, preoccupied with other thoughts, she mentionedthis to no one else. At about this time, another member of the Beirne family,Mary, had just completed a visit with the church's housekeeper, MaryMcLoughlin. As they were walking down the road they came to a location wherethey could clearly see the church and its gables, at which time Mary O'Beirneturned to her companion and said, "O look at the statues! Why didn't you tellme the priest had got new statues for the chapel?" Her companion responded thatshe had heard nothing about new statues but she decided to look more closely.As they approached the church, Mary Beirne remarked, "But they are not statues,they're moving. It's the Blessed Virgin."

        What they and thirteen others saw in the still-bright day was a beautifulwoman, clothed in white garments, wearing a large brilliant crown. Her handswere raised as if in prayer. This woman was understood by all who saw her to beMary, the Mother of Jesus and the Queen of the Angels. On her right stood St.Joseph, his head inclined towards her. On her left stood St. John theEvangelist, dressed as a bishop. To the left of St. John was an altar on whichstood a lamb and a cross surrounded by angels. All of this was seen on thegable wall of the church in a cloud of light and lasted for about two hours.Other villagers, who were not involved with the apparition, nonethelessreported seeing a very bright light illuminating the area around where thechurch was located. There were subsequent reports of inexplicable healingsassociated with visits to the church at Knock.

        The Church response to this series of events was typically circumspect. Acommission was formed to gather testimonies of those claiming to see theapparition and then a record of purported cures and devotional material wasmaintained until 1936. At that time, the head of the diocese of Tuam,Archbishop Gilmartin, authorized the publication of a pamphlet supportingdevotion to the apparition at Knock.