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A public dispute between the Catholic Church and self-proclaimed visionary Joe Coleman looks set to escalate after the latter claimed the Virgin Mary had appeared at Knock Shrine for the second time in three weeks.

The Knock Shrine – located in County Mayo, Ireland – has seen a multitude of visitors since Mr Coleman’s announcement that he had seen an apparition of the Virgin Mary. Approximately 15,000 had gathered on Saturday to witness Coleman’s predicted second apparition in and around the Apparition Chapel and Our Lady of Knock Basillica. With reports from those in attendance being too inconsistent for outsiders to determine whether or not anything miraculous actually took place it seems as though the matter will continue to be disputed.

The potential row between Mr Coleman and the Catholic Church could explode after the 8th December, an important event on the Church calendar as the feast of the Immaculate Conception, as Mr Coleman has predicted that the Virgin Mary will appear at the shrine again on this date.

The Archbishop of Tuam Michael Neary has vocalised the Church’s official disapproval, arguing that the so-called phenomenon was unhealthy and also complained that it brought the shrine into disrepute. Dr Neary added that the famous apparition of 1879, which has since brought droves of pilgrims and tourists to the otherwise unremarkable Irish village of Knock, was neither sought nor expected.