Walsingham 2005

They call Walsingham England's Nazareth. It was in this Norfolk village in the year 1061, that the local lady of the Manor, Richeldis, received a vision communicating for to build a Holy House, a replica of the house of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Nazareth, where Our Lady received the angels greeting and the incarnation of Our Lord was accomplished.

When the work was started a spring of water was revealed and Walsingham became a place of pilgrimage and healing, visited by Kings and great ones until it was destroyed by Henry VIII in 1538. The devotion was destroyed and the Shrine rebuilt by Father Hope Palter in the years following 1921.

On Friday 1st April, I joined, for the second time with St Georges, the annual Easter pilgrimage. I have been to Walsingham on various occasions over the past 50 years or so and the place has developed greatly over that period, but remains a centre of prayer and peace. This year was the first year Fr Mike was vicar of Waterlooville although in 2004 he led the pilgrimage as vicar of St Albans. This year St Albans are still awaiting a new vicar, but Fr Charles, curate at St Faiths, Havant accompanied the group from that parish sharing the coach.

It was misty leaving Waterlooville but the sun was shining by the time we reached Ely where we had lunch and the pilgrims' mass was concelebrated in the glorious lady Chapel of the Cathedral.

On arrival at Walsingham about 4pm the usual pilgrimage pattern was followed; the First visit to the Holy House and after supper an evening's relaxation.

Saturday morning the weather continued bright and we made the Stations of the Cross around the shrine precinct grounds, before visiting the Holy House and Roman Catholic shrine of Houghton, St Giles. This is a mile from the village where the pilgrims used to leave their shoes and walk barefoot the rest of the way.

Some of the party walked the mile beside the river. Others like me went in the coach. Beside the medieval Slipper Chapel the Romans have a large pilgrimage church, which can be opened up when there is a large crowd of pilgrims. They are also just starting to rebuild their parish church in the Friday market, in Walsingham.

Saturday afternoon most of the party went in the coach down to Wells-next-the-Sea, the fishing and holiday part of the coast. Some stayed there for the afternoon (crab sandwiches a speciality) and came back on the little Wells and Walsingham steam train. Others (including me) went on a mystery tour along the coast round through various villages and the town of Holt.

On our return we attended the pilgrimage mass in the Shrine Church where prayer was made for the repose of Pope John Paul II, which was our first news that the Pope had died. Later in the evening there was the torch light procession through the grounds of our statue of Our Lady.

Sunday morning we had a special healing mass in the barn chapel which has recently been established, rather than attending the parish mass in the parish church at the other end of the village. After lunch (the food in the refectory is both good and plentiful) we had to pack our bags and put them on the coach, so as to be ready to leave following the procession with the Blessed Sacrament through the grounds and Benediction which concluded the pilgrimage.

As is usual on the first Sunday after Easter the Shrine complex was packed with pilgrim groups from all over the country, with whom we were able to enjoy conversation and fellowship as well as making good use of the Shrine shop and other shops including the second hand bookshop in the square during the course of the weekend.

Altogether a most satisfying weekend in one of England's loveliest places.

Tom Sweeney