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Our annual
parish pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of
Walsingham took place this year from Monday 8 to Friday
12 June, with 18 pilgrims.
The timetable started off with a Mass and then a
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, as always, was the Slipper
Chapel, the Roman Catholic Shrine, where we said a short
prayer and Fr Nicholas took the group photo. At the
Anglican Shrine we had our First Visit to the Holy House
at 4.00pm, assembling at the Shrine Church after |
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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 Fr Nicholas led the group in Discussion in St
Anne's House.
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
Teresa. 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 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 good to us.
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 always 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, a
liturgy consisting of prayers and hymns. 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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