Our Lady of Knock: A Mosaic with a Message

"The Apparition Mosaic" in the Basilica of Our Lady, Queen of Ireland (Photo: Knock Shrine)

Amid sheep fields and green hills stands the one-street town of Knock, Ireland. For most travelers, Knock is easily overlooked. The small village is home to only one-thousand residents and the town stretches less than a mile wide. Despite its size and simplicity, however, this quiet town receives over one million visitors each year.

What brings visitors to Knock? To answer this, one must look back to the year 1879.

On a rainy August night in 1879, fifteen locals reported seeing a blinding light and a heavenly apparition. On the gable wall of the Parish Church, the visionaries described the appearance of a lamb on the altar, surrounded by adoring angels, an image from the Book of Revelation. To the left of the altar stood St. John the Apostle, boldly preaching from the Gospels, his hand raised in authority. To the left of the Beloved Disciple stood the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Mother of God appeared with her eyes raised to heaven and her hands elevated, as if to raise the prayers of her children to God. Lastly, St. Joseph stood at her right, his head lowered in prayer, bowing before the Blessed Virgin and the Lamb.

This apparition, as described by the visionaries, is beautifully represented in “The Apparition Mosaic” found in Knock's Basilica of Our Lady, Queen of Ireland. The mosaic, constructed from 1.5 million individual glass pieces, wonderfully captures the vision of Heaven, as witnessed by the poor and humble Irishmen in 1879. The figures appear radiant as the gold mosaic shimmers in the Basilica’s lights. The immense size of the image also adds to its magnificence. Standing four-stories tall, the grandiose mosaic captures the significance of the apparition. The Knock Shrine informs visitors that their “mosaic is one of the largest of its kind in Europe” and they can also add one of the most captivating.

President Joe Biden visits "The Apparition Mosaic" in 2023 (Photo: Knock Shrine)

The mosaic, unveiled in 2016, depicts more than just the apparition itself. The masterful piece also features the awe-struck visionaries who gazed before the Saints and the Lamb on that rainy August evening. While the apparition remains at the forefront of the image, the mosaic's inclusion of the Knock visionaries instructs modern viewers about the immense faith of the Irish.

The mosaic tells the story of poor and simple Catholics, ravaged by recent famines, who cling to their faith in the midst of hardship. Downtrodden by immense suffering, the miraculous vision provides them with a glimmer of hope and the reminder that Heaven has not forgotten them. Some visionaries kneel before the image while others look on in silence with their hands folded. Still others point to the glorious light, instructing their children on the significance of Heaven’s message.

The image also uses brilliant contrasts to inspire modern visitors to place their trust in the Lord. At the top of the mosaic, Illustrator PJ Lynch succeeds in accurately portraying the cold and rainy night, utilizing blue and black tiles to depict the rainy tempests which encircle the Church. This darkness, however, is dispelled by the golden light of the apparition which illuminates the darkness and combats the rains. The mosaic juxtaposes the peaceful stature of the saints with the stormy and turbulent skies of the world above them, offering a message of hope to its viewers.

The contrast further contributes to the story of the faithful Irish peasants. As visionary Dominick Byrne Sr. stated in 1879, “at the time it was pitch dark and raining heavenly, and yet there was not one drop of rain near the images.” The mosaic reflects this message of safety and hope amid terrible suffering. While the turbulent skies of famine and political struggle loom overhead, the visionaries kneel in silence and peace. The mosaic, with its masterful use of colors, offers this same message of hope to modern onlookers.

A Message of Hope (Photo: Knock Shrine)

PJ Lynch’s work also reveals how to encounter Christ’s peace. The mosaic encourages its beholders to imitate the prayerfulness of St. Joseph, who bows his head in silent submission, uniting his faith with that of the Blessed Virgin. It urges viewers to boldly proclaim the Gospel like John the Apostle, ready to give a defense of the faith when needed.

The beautiful image also shares the importance of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Surrounding the lamb on the altar, the worship of angels provides a barrier between the turbulent winds of worldly temptations and the peaceful serenity offered by Christ. Finally, modern onlookers are encouraged to offer their prayers to God through the Blessed Virgin Mary, as the visionaries did in 1879. The mosaic accurately and beautifully depicts the Mother of God with her eyes and hands raised in supplication, interceding on behalf of her children on earth.

While the Basilica mosaic provides a stunning account of the apparition on the night of August 21, 1879, it differs slightly from other depictions of the scene. Most notably, the mosaic differs from the artwork present in the Knock Shrine “Apparition Chapel.” This chapel, built on the apparition site, features marble statues of the Virgin Mary, Sts. Joseph and John, and the Lamb of God on the altar- as they would have appeared in 1879.

The Apparition Chapel in Knock (Photo: Knock Shrine)

In contrast to the mosaic, the artwork in the chapel primarily features the Lamb of God, who sits on the altar in the center of the gable wall. The three sculptures of St. Joseph, John, and Mary take a secondary position, praying and preaching to the left of the altar. In the Basilica’s mosaic, however, these three figures appear front and center. Lynch's work elevates the saints as the primary focus, with the Lamb taking a “backseat.” In his mosaic, the altar of the Lamb sits slightly behind the figures, and the visionaries turn their heads towards the Blessed Virgin and the saints, rather than the angels and the Lamb.

The reason for this slight discrepancy remains unclear, but the answer could be as simple as the name of the Basilica itself. One of only two Basilicas on the Emerald Isle, Knock's Basilica is dedicated to Our Lady of Knock, the “Queen of Ireland.” Honoring the Basilica's namesake could explain the shift in focus from the Lamb of God to the Blessed Mother and the Saints. Despite this difference, the mosaic offers a beautiful representation of the Knock Apparition of 1879 and extends its message of hope to modern viewers. In imitating the radiant saints, faithful Christians today can achieve the same peace that was offered to the struggling peasants on that rainy August night and renew their devotion to Christ.