I found Lorenzo Ferri's Original Knock Shrine design.

Added: 2026-05-19

[00:00:05]So, I'm doing a live stream here because I want to share some something that that Lorenzo Ferri Museum sent on to me today that I thought would be interesting to kind of share out with you so let me just let me just get it all tidied in here together. As you know the last number of days I've been pretty excited by the fact that and I really do think this is providence. I absolutely do think that this is it's not coincidence. It's not coincidence that on on Saturday I'm doing the first Maria Valtorta study conference in Ireland, right?

[00:00:50]And um you know, been to Knock for what 40 years since I first went. Um so we did the first Maria Valtorta conference on um on Saturday.

[00:01:05]And uh and then I find out via Paul McCreary that the statues in Knock which you know, it's the kind of the the one of the most very very beautiful statues are were produced by Lorenzo Ferri Maria Valtorta's artist.

[00:01:33]You know, so it's quite strange. Maria Valtorta Lorenzo Ferri worked directly with Maria Valtorta traveled to Viareggio completed this all of the the the the art and the designs that some of it was used in the poem of the man God so we've all of the all of the work that that Lorenzo Ferri did for Maria Valtorta.

[00:01:56]Like to go to to to to give you an idea, you can get this book from the Centro Editoriale Valtortiana initially. So, you can buy this book, which has all of Lorenzo Ferri's uh art from Maria Valtorta in the poem of the Man-God. So, all of this just to start you.

[00:02:16]Uh you know, the all of the different um pre the different sketches that that that Lazarus you know, uh that that's Lorenzo did with Maria Valtorta's help.

[00:02:33]Just so you're aware. I had this for a while.

[00:02:35]I actually brought it to Knock and I had a kind of display there on Saturday with all of Maria Valtorta's works and auxiliary works and everything. So, this book was there. And then Paul says, "Oh, you need to You should blog." Paul McCreesh, he said, "Why don't you do a blog, Robert, on the statues in Knock? The whole story of the statues in Knock." And I went to Knock to see I went to Knock Museum. I went to the bookstore. Do you have anything on Lorenzo Ferri in Knock?

[00:03:03]Nothing.

[00:03:05]Except for, you know, he's mentioned, but there's nothing on Lorenzo Ferri. We don't have the whole story here.

[00:03:11]So, so just kind of um recap, the shrine as designed by Loren- by Professor Ferri was meant to be placed well above the heads of the people with the figures uh which are considerably large than life standing in front of and within representational mosaics, side panels which incorporated images imagined likenesses of the witnesses as they stood on the rain-swept Mayo landscape.

[00:03:46]Completed the story of the event. Behind the lamb, there were uh rays of rising rays of gold and red gold mosaic so that the figure would stand out and all was to rest underneath a high domed roof.

[00:04:04]As it turned out at the time the statues were delivered, it was not opportune to erect the shrine so they remained in boxes for 16 years.

[00:04:15]They were left there lying in the hay shed behind Canon Hall's house. I presume the the knock was was busy trying to construct the Basilica and kind of the whole the whole aspect of the shrine kind of fell through the wayside. Yeah, the shrine build the statues, get them over here and then they they they stay in boxes for 16 years. Anyway, there's a whole chapter in Judy Coyne's book Providence my guide which details about the the statues themselves and Padre Pio. There's there's also this little booklet I got in Knock, The Vision in Marble which also has some information. But that's it, right? So, if you've ever gone to Knock in the last few decades and you wondered why the apparition chapel seems a bit I always thought beautiful statues but there's something missing here.

[00:05:08]This kind of gray wall, you're there's something missing in this chapel. Well, yes, there's something missing missing.

[00:05:15]This if it ever gets completed guys, this will be the last of Lorenzo Ferri's works ever to be completed.

[00:05:22]It would be the jewel of the jewels. It would attract pilgrims from all around the world to see Lorenzo Ferri's final vision set in in in a sacred space.

[00:05:35]A bit like Gaudi's. Today now they're finishing Gaudi's Basilica. I think we need to finish Lorenzo Ferri's full vision in in Knock and then Pope Leo to come to Ireland.

[00:05:49]I think he would come. I think it would be, you know, it would be a massive um um um you know, a massive draw, and I think I think people would like to see it. I think people would like to see how those statues were meant to be placed. I mean, Lorenzo Ferri for me you know, he captures Maria Valtorta's um work so eloquently, so beautifully.

[00:06:12]Um and and I've Now, I've often had the book on my desk cuz you know, images are powerful. You know, they have they have deep symbolical meaning.

[00:06:25]And, you know, we're not just we don't just learn the faith by um by reading a book. You know, in in the Catholic world, we've a deep long tradition of sacred art, you know, you know, statues, uh mosaics, etc. etc. So, hopefully someday the mosaics uh will be will be completed. But, I found and I'm getting more information the the Ferri Foundation are are are get are have have have been sending me information what they had cuz I couldn't find anything in Knock. But, I found some something interesting, and I'm going to share it with you guys.

[00:07:02]Um let me just bring this in now.

[00:07:05]Uh let me bring this in here.

[00:07:11]Uh Let me just screen Let me just do this.

[00:07:17]Okay, so share.

[00:07:20]Uh Where do I go share?

[00:07:25]Share entire screen.

[00:07:31]Uh Okay.

[00:07:33]So, um let me just bring bring it up.

[00:07:36]So, I'm going to put a link to this website below, but you can they have on the second floor in the Lorenzo Ferrero Museum initially not far from Rome.

[00:07:47]They have all of his art. Right?

[00:07:51]And they have there you're going to see in a second.

[00:07:55]I just bring this up.

[00:07:57]Da da da.

[00:07:59]Bring you down here.

[00:08:05]You'll see in a second.

[00:08:07]Uh Batch of the Judas. This is uh Judas' kiss. That's an interesting uh >> [snorts] >> We have some interesting art here. Uh uh Jesus in Gethsemane. Nothing to do with Knock, but there you go. Here we have the first piece.

[00:08:31]Look at that. I think everybody will recognize these angels which he designed. So, this is the plaster um design that he did for for the angels.

[00:08:47]And we go down here.

[00:08:50]Uh no, that's not Knock.

[00:08:53]Uh that's um Maria Valtorta's.

[00:08:57]Uh some of Maria Valtorta's uh stuff.

[00:09:01]59.

[00:09:03]Here.

[00:09:05]Here we have um this is the design for the mosaic.

[00:09:14]So, this is one of the mosa- the the designs for the mosaic that we were supposed to have. I'm just going to see if I can bring it big. So, he He does He He ca- He catches the rain very well. Um but this is one of the designs. So, this was one of the mosaics that we were supposed to have beside the statues.

[00:09:36]Um obviously uh, that didn't happen. I'm never we never even got to see these. And this is the lamb.

[00:09:44]This is the one of the of the lamb I think this is the final if I'm I was just I was just comparing it. Uh, is it the same lamb?

[00:09:53]Yeah, it's it's pretty much the same lamb as um as as what we have in knock. Um, you have here another another piece in our lady. This is one of the This is probably one of the ones that they rejected. One of the um and again I'll put a link below so you can go through it go through it but one of the ones where they rejected the some of the statues here, sorry.

[00:10:22]Saint Joseph, pretty familiar we're we're familiar with that with that with that um image.

[00:10:32]We have our lady. This is the probably the pleased the second our lady statue that that they had to complete cuz because um Judy mentions in her book she wasn't happy with with the first one.

[00:10:45]We have Saint John.

[00:10:48]And here guys, look at this. This is the drawing for the mosaic. This is oil on canvas but it's a drawing for the mosaic that was to go into the side panel. So I'm just going to What did what did Judy say in her book? Just to read it out.

[00:11:07]The completed tableau of beautifully wrought The shrine is designed by Lorenzo Ferri was meant to be placed well above the heads of the people with the figures which are considerably larger than life standing in front of and within represent to representational mosaics. So, the figures had to be within these two mosaics.

[00:11:31]Side panels which incorporated imagined likenesses of the witnesses as they stood in the rain-swept Mayo landscape completed the story of the event. So, um I think I mean, just looking at it, I it'd be no harm for us to have these um these mosaics um don't because it actually it's actually another you're actually looking at the at the visionaries from from the from the angle of the apparition.

[00:12:08]So, you have these two. Let me go back to this one. So, you have these two and you have this other one.

[00:12:15]So, you have a a very stunning, you know, he really captured the Irish weather anyway. Um so, you have these two two mosaics here.

[00:12:25]That should have been purchased and then what you might call it if we go back to the if we go back to the up here to these, these these are supposed to be set in gold and red gold mosaics. The the the angels it seems are are I mean, from what Judy Coyne is saying.

[00:12:45]With these and these here. So, I I didn't know about these and I don't know maybe are they printed somewhere in Knock or in any of the book in Knock? I don't know. You know, no harm in it'd be no harm to have actually a little book on the on the shrine because it would be Lorenzo Ferri's last completed piece of art.

[00:13:05]You know? I don't think there's anything else here for for Knock in the in what they sent me and but they are they are going to send me other stuff but I didn't get it yet.

[00:13:17]Let me just check.

[00:13:18]Uh Uh no.

[00:13:24]No, I don't think uh no, is this uh Mary and Elizabeth?

[00:13:31]Let me just see here.

[00:13:33]If you go to the museum, this is all on the second floor. I mean, he has he's some incredible art.

[00:13:40]Uh Jesus and St. John.

[00:13:46]That is directly taken from Maria Valtorta's work. Definitely.

[00:13:53]Uh But uh again, it's uh it's interesting.

[00:13:57]I just thought I'd share this kind of with the live video to um to kind of Well, I mean, it's supposed to bring it to life. And I'm going to put a link below to to these to these images so that you can go and look at them. But um um hopefully hopefully I mean, as again, I suppose um hopefully someday the we Judy Coins' work She spent enough time in Rome working with Lorenzo Ferri. Hopefully, we get it so that this this is then completed. So, you'll have the mosaic here that the whatever mosaic is is is was supposed to the the side panels because um the Let me just put my Yeah.

[00:14:51]I I suppose it does miss it there.

[00:14:54]It's aesthetically there's something missing here.

[00:14:58]And I always thought it, why would you just have plaster? You know, what's missing? I think that the the mosaic and the panels would be would be beautiful. And I think they would they would add something to the to the to the shrine. Do you know what I mean?

[00:15:14]And I do think Lorenzo Ferri, after all his work, he deserves to have his last piece of art that he was commissioned to do completed.

[00:15:25]You know, the Archdiocese of Tuam commissioned Lorenzo Ferri to do this.

[00:15:29]They They paid him money.

[00:15:31]He sent over the I believe he sent over the mosaics, you know, that they must be there somewhere in in in in Knock. The mosaics themselves. So, where did they end up? I hope they didn't repurpose them for the confession chapel.

[00:15:47]Um I don't really like the confession chapel mosaic at all. It doesn't I don't know what it actually represents, but again, get it Let's get it completed, in my opinion. And uh for the for the 150th anniversary of that shrine, complete Lorenzo Ferri's art.

[00:16:07]Complete it. Let's finish this. And, you know, promote it out to the world. Get people visiting.

[00:16:13]>> [snorts] >> Um because I I do think I do think Lorenzo Ferri is is, you know, we should remember him and his work. He did visit um Knock 10 years after. He met Maria Valtorta.

[00:16:27]Um he is Maria Valtorta's artist. He He did the art for the poem of the Man God, and many other things, not just that.

[00:16:34]But, um again, let's say God bless you. Take care. Bye-bye.

[00:16:41]Hi.