A Knock on the Head

Cian Hallinan takes a look at the arrival of a very special guest

So, with the reliability of a Japanese bullet train or a Swiss prostitute, Madonna is expected to come at exactly 3pm on Saturday, December 5th.

No sorry, not the multi-faceted multi-muscled multi-wrinkled pop sensation Ms. Ciccone, but rather the Madonna, the Holy Mother AKA Our Lady, AKA Saint Mary, AKA Jesus' ma.

Yes, self-proclaimed visionary Joe Coleman has assured us that herself is due to appear at Knock for the second time in as many months, leading to the possibility of thousands of visitors flocking to the shrine come that fateful date.

"I have seen her twice in recent months in the Gable chapel at Knock, " said Coleman, "The statue comes alive, she opens her arms, a lovely pink cloak comes around her, there are stars above her head, she turned into Jesus, then to Padre Pio and then back to herself. While the vision is happening, I can see nothing else in the chapel."

Coleman apparently first experienced visions after being given too much anaesthetic (haven't we all? I once witnessed Jimi Hendrix playing mah jong after one particularly lengthy dentist visit) during an operation.

But the highers-up in the Catholic Church, such as the Bishop of Killaloe, Willie Walsh, are not  convinced of such claims.

""It doesn't make sense to me that Our Lady, in some way, would tell someone 'I'll see you in Knock on the 5th of December'," Bishop Walsh warned. "That goes away from the rational."

The Archbishop of Tuam Dr Michael Neary was even more scathing, suggesting that the original apparitions of 1879 were much more convincing than Coleman's claims.

"The apparition of 1879 was neither sought nor expected by the humble, honest people who were its astonished witnesses. Their faith reveals the patience and humility that characterises true belief. The shrine of Knock is living witness to that faith," Neary said.

In essence, your apparitions are not as good as our apparitions.

So it's true. The Virgin Mary doesn't always ring twice.

Comments

[joe coleman]

Hi Joe Coleman here. the guy you refer to in piece about Knock and the apparitions I predicted in Oct. any chance, as journalists, you would allow my voice to be heard. There are now at least 20 witnesses who were with me on 11th and 31 Oct, 22 Feb and 10 Mar all of whom witnessed the apparition (up to 80 each time were present along with a tv crew). Each time the sun began to spin and gyrate outside of cosmic law. What's it all about? For very good reason. The messages, all predicted events which would happen in the Catholic Church way back In Sept. every single event revealed to me has since happened. But the most important message of all relates to the second coming of Christ on Earth. The Cathoic Church who say they believe in God, and the Second Coming, along with all Christians fail to see the signs when it is about to unfold. The time is very soon. We are going to see a huge number of world disasters in the next three years including two new volcano eruptions in Europe. So when all this happens, maybe then people will listen to what I am trying to tell them. They need to consider, even for one moment, that God really does exist. Then they need to pray and pray hard. Through prayer we can help avert some of the disasters about to unfold, all of which, I have been told has been foretold. To keep up to date with what;s happening a group of volunteers have put together a website www.knockapparitions.com God Bless All of You. Joe Coleman,Visionary for Our Blessed Mother, the Mother of God.