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Fraz94
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To all devotees of Our Lady,
In 1061 an Anglo Saxon noble woman from Walsingham named Richeldis de Faverches had a vision that she was taken by Mary to be shown the house in Nazareth where Gabriel had announced the news of the birth of Jesus. Mary asked Richeldis to build an exact replica of that house in Walsingham. This is how Walsingham became known as England’s Nazareth.
The message soon spread and very quickly the shrine soon grew and became the third most important pilgrimage site in Europe, After Rome and Santiago de Compostella. Royal patronage helped the Shrine to grow in wealth and popularity, receiving visits from Henry III, Edward II, Edward III, Henry IV, Edward IV, Henry VII and Henry VIII, who finally brought about its destruction in 1538.
After nearly four hundred years, the 20th century saw the restoration of pilgrimage to Walsingham. In 1897, there was a Roman Catholic pilgrimage to the restored 14th century Slipper Chapel, now at the centre of the Roman Catholic National Shrine.
Fr Hope Patten, the Anglo Catholic Vicar of Walsingham in 1921, ignited Anglican interest in the pre-Reformation pilgrimage. It was his idea to base a new statue of Our Lady of Walsingham on the image depicted on the seal of the medieval Priory.
In 1922, this statue was set up in the Parish Church of St. Mary, and regular pilgrimage devotion followed, from both Catholics and Anglicans alike. From the first night that the statue was placed there, people gathered around it to pray, asking Mary to join her powerful prayer with theirs. This work of intercession continues to this day.
Throughout the 1920’s, the trickle of pilgrims became a flood of large numbers, for whom eventually a in 1931, a new Holy House encased in a small pilgrimage (Anglican) church was dedicated, and the statue translated there with great solemnity. In 1938 that church was enlarged to form the Anglican Shrine, more or less as we know it today. Although the Slipper Chapel (called so as it where pilgrims used to take off their shoes to walk the last mile barefoot on their way to the main shrine in the medieval period) was bought and reconsecrated in 1897, it was only after the efforts of the Anglo Catholics that the Roman Catholic pilgrimage also returned to Walsingham. I am not known for being “Pro-Anglican” but it perhaps is very fitting that it was the Anglicans who began to rebuild and re-ignite the Pilgrimage to Walsingham, in reparation for the destruction of the shrine and of Our Lady of Walsingham under Henry VIII- the original image of Our Lady of Walsingham was taken to London and burned in 1538 by Protestant heretics. But I personally find it beautiful that the Anglicans (Anglo Catholics) made amends and began to re-honour and foster devotion to God’s mother at Walsingham- which was once this most important pilgrimage place in all the land.
The first Mass since the Reformation was celebrated in the Slipper Chapel in August 1934 and on 8th September 1938 the Shrine was re-consecrated by Bishop Youens of Northampton. Although this was before the Second Vatican Council it is beautiful to think that Anglicans and Catholics were both making their way to Walsingham to give thanks and honour to Our Lady.
In 1954, which was declared a Marian year- Pope Pius XII personally honoured Our Lady of Walsingham by having her new statue solemnly crowned! Only a few statues in the world have ever been crowned personally in the Pope’s honour. The future Papal Delegate Archbishop O’Hara crowned the image in the presence of 15,000 pilgrims! Straight after Our Lady was crowned two white doves flew down and settled on the statue of Our Lady of Walsingham, I have attached the photographic evidence in with the other pictures below (it is the black and white one). The doves remained on Our Lady’s lap during the flowing mile procession to the Slipper Chapel where the crowned image was enshrined in England’s National Pilgrimage site. This little miracle was spoken about a lot at the time! When Pope John Paul II visited the UK in 1982 he asked to have the statue brought from Walsingham to be present at the Mass he offered in Wembley, which he venerated and had placed on the Altar.
Walsingham continues to be a major pilgrimage site in England and a great place for united Evangelization, for both Anglicans and Roman Catholics and also for the Orthodox, who have their own small shrine there- it is a very special place as the three Churches all unite under the love and protection of Our Lady. The Ordinariate in the UK- which was founded by Pope Benedict XVI as a body for Anglicans to enter the Catholic Church whilst retaining their Liturgical traditions and familiar customs has also been dedicated "The Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham! There are other restored shrines in England but Walsingham is THE ONE! Also my personal favourite in the whole country, I have been a few times and I am hoping to go soon. It is a very Holy place and even the air there feels sacred, there is so much I would love to say about this shrine but I already have written a long post! I myself have several items from Walsingham, a statue from both the Roman Catholic and Anglo Catholic Shrine, also an Orthodox icon and various medals, rosaries and pictures, prayer cards etc. I also wear Our Lady of Walsingham around my neck because I am so devoted to her and love her so much!!!
Code:
I have been writing posts lately about devotions and shrines in England, I am an English Catholic and very proud of it and of my country. Today is the transferred feast of St. George (our Patron Saint) and therefore very appropriate for another post on English Catholicism! I want to write about Our Lady of Walsingham! I once wrote a long post on here before when I had my old account, probably still around somewhere but I want this one to be more historically accurate and written better!The message soon spread and very quickly the shrine soon grew and became the third most important pilgrimage site in Europe, After Rome and Santiago de Compostella. Royal patronage helped the Shrine to grow in wealth and popularity, receiving visits from Henry III, Edward II, Edward III, Henry IV, Edward IV, Henry VII and Henry VIII, who finally brought about its destruction in 1538.
After nearly four hundred years, the 20th century saw the restoration of pilgrimage to Walsingham. In 1897, there was a Roman Catholic pilgrimage to the restored 14th century Slipper Chapel, now at the centre of the Roman Catholic National Shrine.
Fr Hope Patten, the Anglo Catholic Vicar of Walsingham in 1921, ignited Anglican interest in the pre-Reformation pilgrimage. It was his idea to base a new statue of Our Lady of Walsingham on the image depicted on the seal of the medieval Priory.
In 1922, this statue was set up in the Parish Church of St. Mary, and regular pilgrimage devotion followed, from both Catholics and Anglicans alike. From the first night that the statue was placed there, people gathered around it to pray, asking Mary to join her powerful prayer with theirs. This work of intercession continues to this day.
Throughout the 1920’s, the trickle of pilgrims became a flood of large numbers, for whom eventually a in 1931, a new Holy House encased in a small pilgrimage (Anglican) church was dedicated, and the statue translated there with great solemnity. In 1938 that church was enlarged to form the Anglican Shrine, more or less as we know it today. Although the Slipper Chapel (called so as it where pilgrims used to take off their shoes to walk the last mile barefoot on their way to the main shrine in the medieval period) was bought and reconsecrated in 1897, it was only after the efforts of the Anglo Catholics that the Roman Catholic pilgrimage also returned to Walsingham. I am not known for being “Pro-Anglican” but it perhaps is very fitting that it was the Anglicans who began to rebuild and re-ignite the Pilgrimage to Walsingham, in reparation for the destruction of the shrine and of Our Lady of Walsingham under Henry VIII- the original image of Our Lady of Walsingham was taken to London and burned in 1538 by Protestant heretics. But I personally find it beautiful that the Anglicans (Anglo Catholics) made amends and began to re-honour and foster devotion to God’s mother at Walsingham- which was once this most important pilgrimage place in all the land.
The first Mass since the Reformation was celebrated in the Slipper Chapel in August 1934 and on 8th September 1938 the Shrine was re-consecrated by Bishop Youens of Northampton. Although this was before the Second Vatican Council it is beautiful to think that Anglicans and Catholics were both making their way to Walsingham to give thanks and honour to Our Lady.
In 1954, which was declared a Marian year- Pope Pius XII personally honoured Our Lady of Walsingham by having her new statue solemnly crowned! Only a few statues in the world have ever been crowned personally in the Pope’s honour. The future Papal Delegate Archbishop O’Hara crowned the image in the presence of 15,000 pilgrims! Straight after Our Lady was crowned two white doves flew down and settled on the statue of Our Lady of Walsingham, I have attached the photographic evidence in with the other pictures below (it is the black and white one). The doves remained on Our Lady’s lap during the flowing mile procession to the Slipper Chapel where the crowned image was enshrined in England’s National Pilgrimage site. This little miracle was spoken about a lot at the time! When Pope John Paul II visited the UK in 1982 he asked to have the statue brought from Walsingham to be present at the Mass he offered in Wembley, which he venerated and had placed on the Altar.
Walsingham continues to be a major pilgrimage site in England and a great place for united Evangelization, for both Anglicans and Roman Catholics and also for the Orthodox, who have their own small shrine there- it is a very special place as the three Churches all unite under the love and protection of Our Lady. The Ordinariate in the UK- which was founded by Pope Benedict XVI as a body for Anglicans to enter the Catholic Church whilst retaining their Liturgical traditions and familiar customs has also been dedicated "The Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham! There are other restored shrines in England but Walsingham is THE ONE! Also my personal favourite in the whole country, I have been a few times and I am hoping to go soon. It is a very Holy place and even the air there feels sacred, there is so much I would love to say about this shrine but I already have written a long post! I myself have several items from Walsingham, a statue from both the Roman Catholic and Anglo Catholic Shrine, also an Orthodox icon and various medals, rosaries and pictures, prayer cards etc. I also wear Our Lady of Walsingham around my neck because I am so devoted to her and love her so much!!!