People at Knock Shrine, Knock, Co. Mayo expecting an apparition of the virgin Mary. Photo : Keith Heneghan / Phocus

CROWDS of devoted worshippers gathered at Knock shrine today where a traveller teenager had been told to expect a vision of the Virgin Mary.

A 14-year-old boy had been at the shrine in Fatima last May with his family when he saw visions of the Virgin Mary and others.

During the visions he was told to expect the Virgin Mary at Knock during which she would bless everyone present.

Reports of his religious experience have spread throughout the traveller community via social media apps with many promising to make the trip to Mayo.

The boy's father explained in an audio message posted online what the youngster had experienced while still in Portugal

"For two days our son seen Our Lady in Fatima and he seen the visionaries," he said.

The father said he has no doubt as to the miraculous nature of his son’s visions.

“The visionary from Medjugorje was speaking to him in Portuguese and [boy's name] was able to understand every word out of her mouth, he got that gift to understand any visionary,” he explained.

Reacting to messages and posts on social media he claimed the story that his son had seen visions of the Virgin Mary was true.

He also passed on the message as given to his son: "On the 10th of June we will be going to Knock and whoever wants to come is welcome. Our Lady will appear to [son's name] there."

"What it is, is that Our lady will appear on the ground there to," he said "and she will bless everyone on the ground".

"He won’t be doing it individually – whoever wants to be there at three o’clock Our lady will come down, I can’t say if the three visionaries will be there, but I know Our Lady will be there.

"It’s out there for everybody out there who believes in it and who doesn’t believe in it, but what I am telling here is the truth.

“If you want to be there on 10 June everyone is welcome."

The father said it won't be his son who will be blessing everybody "it will be Our Lady blessing everyone in Knock".

The father warned against people who believe that his son has miraculous healing powers.

In the audio message the father admitted that it has deeply affected his family.

“At the moment I’m feeling stressed, my own woman is feeling stressed. It’s a lot to take on what’s happened in the last few days with my young fella he’s only 14 years of age,” he said.

“I’m asking everybody out there to say a prayer for him as well and us.”

There was no evidence of a vision at Knock this afternoon.

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Online Editors