Our annual
parish pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of
Walsingham took place this year from Monday 20 to Friday
24 June, with 20 pilgrims.
The timetable started off with a Mass and Blessing of
Pilgrims in St Matthew’s Lady Chapel at 9.30am. Then
setting off in private cars, with a lunch stop en route,
we arrived at Walsingham in the early afternoon. First
stop was the Slipper Chapel, the Roman Catholic Shrine,
where we said a short prayer. At the Anglican Shrine we
had our First Visit to the Holy House at 4.00pm,
assembling at the Shrine Church after depositing cases
in rooms, and we all went in together. Afterwards there
was free time to unpack and look round the Shrine and
the village before we met up again for Evening Prayer
followed by Supper in the refectory at 6.30pm. At 8.00pm
we all met in St Anne’s House for a social evening.
Each day had a structured programme of events, with
pilgrims free to join in as much or as little as they
liked – attendance at everything is not compulsory!
Every day we had Buffet Breakfast from 8.00am, Morning
Prayer at 9.00am and a Mass. In the afternoons after
Lunch there was free time until Evening Prayer at
5.30pm, followed by Supper. On Thursday we had Mass in
The Priory at 9.00am followed by a talk by Sister
Angelina. Certain days had certain Shrine events – on
Tuesday evening the Sprinkling at the Well followed by
Ministries of Healing, Laying on of Hands and Anointing
and on Wednesday a Pilgrim Mass in the morning and in
the evening the Candlelight Procession of Our Lady
followed by Benediction.
The Shrine was full with many other groups in residence
and pilgrims and schoolchildren from Oundle coming just
for the day; on Wednesday afternoon our group followed
the Stations of the Cross around the garden. Even with
so many people about, the Shrine exudes a feeling of
peace and it’s easy to sit in the lovely gardens and
enjoy the quietness and the birds singing and not be
conscious of other people. This year the weather was
varied with torrential rain just after we arrived, but
it didn’t stop anything we had intended to do and we
completed our programme.
An important part of the Pilgrimage, going as a parish
group, is the social aspect and it gives us a chance to
get to know each other better and let our hair down.
With free time every day there’s a chance to walk round
the village, visit the Slipper Chapel again, go outside
the village to the sea or other towns nearby, or just
have a rest. And of course, there’s the local pub, where
we all congregated for our last evening’s social
gathering.
Friday arrived and our last morning before departure was
celebrated with the Last Visit to the Holy House. All
liturgies throughout the week are laid out in the
Pilgrimage Manual which we all individually have with
us. A Parish Pilgrimage is arranged every year from St
Matthew’s, normally in May or June.
Please find below a selection of photos.
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