View of the Altar at the Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of Knock
I wasn’t terribly inspired with the design of the Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of Knock. It has a more modern design as opposed to the more traditional church designs I usually see. I tend to like the older style though. What’s more, the design of the church doesn’t give the impression that it is that large. I was told it can hold several thousand here. That may be true since Knock is flooded with pilgrims when the weather is good, however, it is most busy during the days around the feast day of the Assumption.
View from the Seats of the Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of Knock
The church also features a rather non-traditional layout. The inside is actually six sided, with five of the sides filled with seats. The sixth side is blocked off. Again probably because of the walls separating the wings of the church, it gives the impression that it is much more enclosed than it really is. However, it gives the faithful a unique view of the altar. It is not very often that you can see behind the priest during mass. This was probably done so that people aren’t too far away from the altar.
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