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The Apparitions and Miracles at Knock; also, the Official Depositions of the Eye-witnesses

M.H. Gill & Son (1880), via Internet Archive · 1880 · 90 pages · text from the file's own layer

This book was prepared and edited by John MacPhilpin of Tuam and published in Dublin by M. H. Gill & Son in 1880. It reprints Tuam News reports on the apparition of the Blessed Virgin, St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist, which about twenty people saw on the south gable of Knock chapel, County Mayo, on 21 August 1879. It also gives the witnesses' official depositions, which a commission of priests appointed by the Archbishop of Tuam judged trustworthy. It lists cures recorded in Archdeacon Cavanagh's diary.

  • p. 26 …church, the re flection from them could never beam on the outside at the foot of…
  • p. 31 …The tenants have never been rich. The wealthiest is only so far above want, that one…
  • p. 37 …Either the Apparition was a reality ; or, it never took place ; and all the fifteen wit…
  • p. 38 …point of fact (if he were deceived), never had occurred. And then you must multiply that…
  • p. 39 …the gables of a house, and they never continue longer than a few moments, like a…
  • p. 40 …It is never even, nor at rest. But in the Apparition there was no rippling, or…
  • p. 50 …It was still bright ; I had never heard from Miss M'Loughlin about the vision which…
  • p. 52 …a large globe of golden light ; I never saw, I thought, so brilliant a light before…
  • p. 55 …sight to be seen at the chapel such as we never before beheld, and she told
  • p. 57 …came there first I thought I would never leave it. I would not have gone so…
  • p. 59 …bright at the south gable, but it never entered my head that it was necessary to…
  • p. 84 …I never walked on the heel, but simply tipping the ground with the top of my…
34
did not wet the figures which appeared before me, although
I was wet myself; I went away then.
(Signed) Patrick Hill.
Witness present—U. J. Canon Bourke.
October 8th, 1879.
Second Witness.
I, Mary M'Loughlin, live in Knock; lam housekeeper
to the Rev. Archdeacon Cavanagh ; I remember the evening
of the 2 1 st of August ; at the hour of seven or so, or a little
later, while it was yet bright day, I passed from the Rev. the
Archdeacon's house on by the chapel, towards the house of
a Mrs. Beirne, widow. On passing by the chapel, and at a
little distance from it, I saw a wonderful number of strange
figures or appearances at the gable, one like the B. V. Mary,
and one like St. Joseph, another a bishop ; I saw an altar ;
I was wondering to see there such an extraordinary group ;
yet I passed on and said nothing, thinking that possibly the
Archdeacon had been supplied with these beautiful figures
from Dublin or somewhere else, and that he said nothing
about them, but had left them in the open air ; I saw a white
lig.it about them ; I thought the whole thing strange; after
looking at them I passed on to the house of Mrs. Beirne's in
the village ; after reaching Widow Beirne's house I stayed
there half an hour at least ; I returned then homewards to
the Archdeacon's house, accompanied by Miss Mary Beirne,
and as we approached the chapel, she cried out, " Look at the
beautiful figures." We gazed on them for a little, and then I
told her to go for her mother, Widow Beirne, and her brother,
and her sister, and her niece, who were still in the house
which she and I had left. I remained looking at the sight
before me until the mother, sister, and brother of Miss Mary

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Document, cited by the archive. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 90 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.