In 1879, Archdeacon Cavanagh was at serious risk of retribution from a group of local Ribbonmen, a secret society aligned to the evils of Freemasonry.    The modus operandi of the Ribbonmen was to infiltrate all valid, legitimate causes at the time so that they could infiltrate them for their own ends, and this meant using poor unsuspecting foot soldiers to do their bidding.    The Ribbonmen were agitators in the Land Question in Ireland at the time, and a local group agitated in landlord tenant disputes in the East of Mayo.   Archdeacon Cavanagh preached caution and restraint to his flock and this put him at odds with the agitators.   The proposal was made and carried at a secret meeting of the Ribbonmen that the appropriate punishment for Archdeacon Cavanagh was to have him subjected to a course of serious threats and finally to have his ears cut off.   Before the date could be set for such a gruesome act, the extraordinary events of 21st August 1879 occurred at Knock.    The plotters had a complete change of heart, seeing Heaven’s intervention by the Apparition as a sign favouring the Holy Priest.    This whole sequence of events would seem to add corroboration to the many who ascertain that Knock was chosen by Heaven because of the sanctity of its Parish Priest.