Parish Pilgrimage to Walsingham 2014

Our annual parish pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham took place this year from Monday 9 to Friday 13 June, with 14 pilgrims. Unfortunately two pilgrims had had to drop out before we went.

The timetable started off with a Mass and then a Blessing of Pilgrims in St Matthew’s Lady Chapel. We then set off in private cars, with a lunch stop en route, arriving at Walsingham in early afternoon. First stop, as always, 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.

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 Tuesday we had a talk from the Year4God team and on Thursday we went to the Priory where Sister Mary Angela talked to us about her vocation to the Religious life. 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 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.

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.