Eyewitness Accounts At Knock Apparition On 21 August 1879: TRENCH, BRIDGET



TRENCH, BRIDGET

“My name is Bridget Trench; I live near the chapel at Knock. About half past seven o’clock on the night of the 21st of August, I was in the house of Mrs. Campbell, which was quite near to the chapel, while I was there Mary Byrne came in and said there was a sight to be seen at the chapel such as we never before beheld, and she told us all to come and see it, I asked her what it was, and she said that the Blessed Virgin, St. Joseph and St. John were to be seen there.

I went out immediately and went to the spot indicated. When I arrived there I saw distinctly the three figures, I threw myself on my knees and exclaimed “A hundred thousands thanks to God and to the glorious Virgin that has given us this manifestation.” I went in immediately to kiss, as I thought, the feet of the Blessed Virgin, but I felt nothing in the embrace but the wall, and I wondered why I could not feel with my hands the figures which I had so plainly and so distinctly seen.

The three figures appeared motionless, statue-like, they were standing by the gable of the church in the background, and seemed raised about two feet above the ground. The Blessed Virgin was in the centre, she was clothed in white, and covered with what appeared one white garment, her hands were raised to the same position as that in which a priest holds his hands when praying at holy Mass. I remarked distinctly the lower portions of her feet, and kissed them three times, she had on her head something resembling a crown, and her eyes were turned up heavenwards.

I was so taken with the Blessed Virgin that I did not pay much attention to any other, yet I saw also the two other figures. St. Joseph standing to the right of the Blessed Virgin, or to the left, as I looked at him, his head bent towards her and his hands joined, and the other figure, which I took to be St. John the Evangelist, was standing at her left. I heard those around me say that the image was St. John.

It was raining very heavily at the time, but no rain fell where the figures were. I felt the ground carefully with my hands and it was perfectly dry. The wind was blowing from the south, right against the gable of the chapel, but no rain fell on that portion of the gable or chapel in which the figures were.

There was no movement or active sign of life about the figures, and I could not say whether they were what living beings would in their place appear to be or not, but they appeared to me so full and so lifelike and so life-size that I could not understand why I could not feel them with my hands such as I beheld them with my eyes.

There was an extraordinary brightness about the whole gable of the chapel, and it was observed by several who were passing along the road at the time.

I remained there altogether about an hour, and when I came there first I thought I would never leave it. I would not have gone as soon as I did, but that I considered that the figures and that brightness would continue there always, and that on coming back I would again behold them.

I continued to repeat the rosary on my beads while there, and I felt great delight and pleasure in looking at the Blessed Virgin. I could think of nothing else while there but giving thanks to God repeating my prayers.”

Source


The Church will be in eclipse, the world will be in dismay  Our Lady of La Salette 19 Sept. 1846 (Published by Mélanie 1879)

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