The village of Walsingham, four miles inland from Wells on the north coast of Norfolk, was revived as a place of pilgrimage in honour of Our Lady during the 20th century. Its story began in 1061 when a noble lady called Richeldis experienced a vision in which she was asked to build a replica, in England, of the Holy House in Nazareth. The shrine was a major pilgrimage centre in medieval times until its closure and near-destruction at the Reformation. The old Slipper Chapel was rescued in the late 19th Century by Charlotte Boyd who presented it to Downside Abbey. It was proclaimed the National Shrine of Our Lady  in 1934 and the annual "Student Cross" pilgrimages began in 1948. Walsingham was in the Diocese of Northampton until 1976 when the Diocese of East Anglia was separated off. In 1981 a larger chapel was built nearby for the use of increasing numbers of pilgrims, and in the last few years the little Catholic church in the village itself has been rebuilt. Walsingham remains an almost-unspoilt rural village of great peace and beauty, with an emphasis on religion which is highly unusual in the UK, and is well worth a trip even if you are not part of an organised pilgrimage. 

 

Last year's pilgrimage took place on Saturday 13th June. See report below the pictures....

 

 

 






A report on the 2009 Pilgrimage by Margaret Busby
Reproduced from the August edition of The Vine

"Faultless summer weather greeted the hundreds of pilgrims from all corners of Northampton diocese who made their way to Walsingham on 13 June. 

 

Bishop Peter greeted everyone as they gathered in the Anglican Church before walking the Holy Mile, reciting the rosary and singing hymns to Our Lady. The local police were not present to hold back the traffic causing a few hitches as the pilgrims were strung out in a long procession avoiding vehicles in both directions. But all arrived safely at the Slipper Chapel to be  greeted by the chapel bell and to gather in front of the Chapel of Reconciliation for the Litany of Our Lady of Walsingham.

Re-united for Mass the pilgrims packed the chapel to overflowing. Bishop Peter’s homily focussed on the family. “There may be many things you want to ask Our Lady,” he said, “but all of us need to ask her to help us to be real brothers and sisters of her Son – to be the Holy Family, not of Nazareth, but of the Diocese of Northampton. I know it is very difficult today, and many of us are in broken situations. But we all have to support one another and do our best to be united families, where the faith is alive, where there is respect for human life from conception to the grave, families who love one another, …always giving thanks to God.”

At the end of Mass young Martha gave Bishop Peter the traditional Fathers’ Day gift. 

Deacon Michael Fleming, the pilgrimage organiser, thanked the musicians from St Gregory, Northampton, the statue bearers who were recruited only at the last minute, and everyone who was there. “It wouldn’t be the same without you,” he said."