More than 1,500 people attended the Diocesan Pilgrimage to Walsingham on Saturday 24 May from parishes across the Diocese. They came to seek the blessings of the Jubilee Year, to bring their petitions and prayers to Our Lady of Walsingham, to remember Pope Francis, to pray for Pope Leo, or simply to experience togetherness, with others who shared their faith. They were warmly welcomed by Rector, Dr Robert Billing. Mgr John Armitage, a former director at the Shrine and parish priest at Canning Town, was among 20 Brentwood priests present. Charles Carlton was in charge of the music and sang the cantor pieces.
In his homily, Bishop Alan Williams SM – a former director of the shrine and a Marist – talked movingly of Mary as ‘the perfect disciple’. He said she was a woman of hope not despair, despite what she saw happen to her son. “All through the centuries people have gone on pilgrimages with our Blessed Lady – to Walsingham, Lourdes, Fatima. Why? The Gospels tell us that the only way to navigate life is to be with Mary as a disciple of Jesus.” It is a reminder, he added, that if we want to get things right, we must be like Mary.
He highlighted two qualities that the Gospels tell us about Mary: “She was always constant in saying yes to God, yes to Jesus Christ – her whole life was one constant yes. She was always looking at and thinking about Jesus so she is a great model for us.” Secondly, he said, she lived in very, very difficult circumstances. “She saw her son rejected by the people. She, the sinless one, saw what happened in a sinful world but remained faithful to God, to Jesus Christ. And if we think of her at the foot of the cross at a moment of immense despair, she was still a woman of hope, able to say yes to God, Jesus Christ and the mission of God.” The pilgrims should be on a two-fold path, he added. “Be with Mary in spirit and in reality – no matter how we feel or where we are today, on the walk, at the ancient shrine in the village, we are with Mary and therefore Christ.”
He talked about the many shrines to Mary and the feast days taking place around the world simultaneously – Our Lady of the Way in Rome and Our Lady, Help of Christians in Australia. “For us, in this Holy Year of Hope, this jubilee year, we celebrate Our Lady of Hope. So, today, let us be generous in our prayer: think of those people in our lives who need a prayer, think of ourselves too, think of each other.” We should not despair about the state of the world, he added. “St Thomas Aquinas said that was the worst affliction, the worst sin of all – to think that even God or Our Lady can’t change this.”
The opposite of despair is hope, he added. “We bring all our petitions, worries, anxieties and angsts to Our Lady of Hope today in this Holy Year. If we believe in our hearts, profess with our lips, great things will be done for us, great things will be given us.”
After Mass, priests continued to hear confessions while parish groups ate lunch together before following Bishop Alan and the statue of Our Lady of Walsingham along the Holy Mile. Members of the Brentwood Catholic Youth Service carried the statue while men, women and young people walked in impressive silence, at the Bishop’s behest. This symbolic walk culminated in the Abbey [Priory] Grounds of Little Walsingham, the original site of the Holy House.
As the afternoon progressed with Vespers and Benediction at the ancient shrine – once an Augustinian Priory – the rain held off and the sun came out. As the pilgrims sat or knelt on the hallowed turf that so many had trodden before, ancient refrains rang out. Charles Carlton led the Psalmody, ably supported by singers from Our Lady of Light parish, Clacton, and The Magnificat, O Salutaris and Regina Caeli followed before the statue of Our Lady of Walsingham was laid at the original site of the Holy House for the final blessing.
Julia Clarke, who has led the Clacton parish choir for 25 years – and has been a member for much longer – said: “The choir has been going to Walsingham for five years and have supported any choir or singers there on an unofficial basis. It was a wonderful day and the weather was very kind to us.”
Pilgrimage organiser Fr Daniel Kelly was delighted by the numbers present. “Bishop Alan wanted a record number of pilgrims at Walsingham for the Jubilee year, and he certainly got his wish! We were expecting around 1,000 pilgrims from 30 parishes but 1,500 received Communion. The Catholic Police Guild were also represented.” He added: “Unlike the previous pilgrimage, the pilgrims went home dry and warm after a wonderful day in England’s Nazareth.”
Many people expressed their pleasure in the feeling of unity that the pilgrimage engendered. “Being part of such a welcoming and prayerful community made me feel embraced and deeply connected to everyone there,” said Kingsley Ngonye. He said he enjoyed making new friendships during the day. “Meeting other young adults, speaking with priests from different parishes, sharing smiles and stories, it felt like we had become one big family, united by faith and love.”
He and colleague Paula Apeja were present to report on the pilgrimage as members of the Newham Deanery Young Journalists Programme. You can read their accounts here: Walking in Faith
From the Walsingham Shrine website
