Welcome to the Walsingham Page

Dear friends, Elaine has written a short blog about the this year's pilgrimage

WALSINGHAM 2025

We arrived later than anticipated due to delays with the hire car pickup and, as a consequence, missed lunch

However, we met for readings at the Altar of the Annunciation followed by Mass in the Holy House

Supper was at 6.30

DAY TWO - Tuesday - we had breakfast at 8am then a private Mass in the Barn Chapel

We later visited Shirehall and the Abbey ruins, which were more or less across the road from the Shrine complex

Back for 12.30 lunch

After supper at 6.30, the very special service (well they all are) Liturgy of Healing and Reconciliation in the Shrine Church

Then it was off to the local pub - as you do!!!

DAY THREE - Wednesday, 17th breakfast at 8am, then Stations of the Cross which should have been at 9.45, gathering round each station in the grounds, in our own groups for a reading and a hymn

HOWEVER, there was a 90% chance of rain and it was persisting it down

Fr Rodney decided we would follow the BEATITUDE Stations - which we did in the Barn Chapel, each of us reading Stations in turn

This was followed at 11am by a Pilgrimage Mass in the Shrine Church

Lunch at 12.30

In the afternoon we visited the Slipper Chapel (in the rain)

Supper at 6.30, then at 8pm Address, Procession of Our Lady and Benediction in the Shrine Church

DAY FOUR - THURSDAY 18th,

Breakfast at 8am

Mass in the Barn Chapel and then we left for Sandringham with our packed lunches - excellent visit

Supper at 6pm

DAY FIVE - FRIDAY 18th,

Our last day started with the usual 8am breakfast - but vegan as it was Friday

We had to strip our beds, take our luggage to the Green Room and meet for our final Mass at 9.30 in the Holy House

We were then free until lunch at 12.30 when we were all spending the time doing something - Local wine bar - Library (and napping) or just chillling in the Norton Bar, evenings had varied between the Local Black Lion and the Norton Bar

We left for Stansted at 1.30, but due to a long countryside diversion and heavy traffic on the A11 were not very early getting there

We said our fond farewells to "our" Doris, she went for her train back to London

By the time we had walked the tiring mileage the gate was already open!!! - flight on time and then wended our various ways home

THANKS TO FR RODNEY for organising the trip once again

Already looking forward to next year!

Photographs can be found on the chaplaincy Facebook Page on this link https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551721803468

The Pilgimage Site

The tradition of the Shrine dates back to 1061, when a Saxon noblewoman, the Lady Richeldis de Faverches, was visited by the Blessed Virgin Mary, who took her in Spirit to the house in Nazareth where Mary had been told that she would become the Mother of Jesus>

While there, Richeldis was asked to build a replica of this 'Holy House' in Walsingham, saying that

'All who seek me there will find succour'

Inside the Holy House

Pilgrimages to 'the new Nazareth' as it became known grew rapidly across Northern Europe, and for those from the northern parts of Britain, the Shrine of Our Lady in Egamanton became an intermediate stop on their route

The Holy House, and the associated Priory, which from its inception has welcomed everyone from commoners to kings, was destroyed in 1538 (even though Henry VIII, and both Queens Catherine and Anne had previously worshipped there), along with the rest of the religious foundations in England; accordinly the pilgrimages eased

In the late nineteenth century, Roman Catholic pilgrimages began, but it was not until 1921, with the arrival of Fr Alfred Hope Patten, that the revival of the Anglican pilgrimage began, and in 1931, the Shrine was was restored as 'The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Walsingham', with a replica of the Holy House formed, based on the illustration of the House on a mediaeval seal

Since then, the Shrine has grown in popularity as a place of worship, and as a place for rest, reflection and community