My Immaculate Heart will be Your Refuge - Our Lady of Knock

On the evening of August 21, 1879, Our Blessed Mother appeared in a place called Knock, Ireland, in the northwest part of the Emerald Isle. Our Lady came as the a Queen during the Octave of the Feast of her bodily Assumption. It is said that a simple rectory housekeeper named Mary McLoughlin, was the first to see the apparition in front of the gabled wall of the local church building. But as time passed, others saw the wondrous images not only of the Virgin, but also of her true husband, good St. Joseph, the Apostle and Evangelist, St. John, and yes an image of the Son of God and Son of Mary, who appeared on a glowing altar as a Lamb once slain. We know that at least 15 people, of all ages…from 5 years old to 75 years old saw the apparition, though many say that the number is closer to 25 to 30 visionaries. Unlike other apparitions, every one saw it. Unfortunately, the local pastor, due to some miscommunication, did not see the wondrous sight. The vision lasted for about three hours and then faded. In a land that had been Catholic for nearly 1,500 years, with churches and shrines throughout the land, Mary did not ask for any new sites to be built. In a land that had known many hardships…from famine, disease, persecution, and economic depression, our dear Mother asked for no penances to be done. Ireland had had enough. And while everyone was leaving Ireland to sail towards the United States, Canada, and Australia, Mary came to visit Ireland. And it is appropriate that she appeared at Knock while it was raining. Although, amazingly no rain fell…not even a drop fell …near our Lady, St. Joseph, St. John, and the Lamb of God. For three and a half hours the apparition lasted, but there were no words spoken…no verbal messages to Mary…just silence and Our Lady’s eyes were looking towards the heavens above. Yet, despite the silence, the message is still clear, namely, that Our Lady is still watching over us as a Mother. She has not forgotten us…nor abandoned us especially in times of trial and tribulation. She was present to the people of Ireland and she is just as present to us here at this parish. At Fatima Our Lady asked for consecration of Russia and of every human person to her Immaculate Heart. It is a consecration which, among other things, calls for the devotion of the Five First Saturdays, which includes the Rosary, meditation and Communions of reparation - all done in reparation to her Immaculate Heart. It involves a striving to fulfill her requests for prayer and sacrifices for the conversion of sinners and in reparation for offenses against the Divine Majesty. In a word, it involves a striving to fulfill all that she asked for at Fatima, and trying to bring others to heed her requests. With this parish being consecrated today to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we should all seek to fulfill the requests of our Lady of Fatima. Living this consecration as parishioners means becoming an apostle of Mary, striving to imitate her virtues, and to place in her hands the offerings of our little sacrifices of reparation for the salvation of souls, so that we might be strengthened and aided by her in order to face the attacks of the Evil One, and hasten the day of the triumph of her Immaculate Heart. To everyone who makes that consecration and sincerely tries to live it, the words of Our Lady to the child Lucia at Fatima would also apply: I will never leave you; my Immaculate Heart will be your refuge, and the way that will lead you to God. For more please visit http://www.reginaprophetarum.org & remember to say 3 Hail Marys for the priest