On Thursday, October 15th, at 7 o'clock, a few parishioners and others assembled outside the Chapel and assisted at the blessing while the priest passed around the outside of the building and aspersed it. Entering to the words of the Litany, the circuit of the Chapel was made within, and later aspersed, first on the Epistle side and then the Gospel. At the conclusion of the blessing a votive Mass (with Gloria and Creed) was said of the Annunciation, being the fitting Mass on such an occasion as the opening of the Holy House - England's Nazareth. The Mass proceeded in the ordinary way until the offertory, when just before the oblations were brought to the altar, Sir William Milner, who gave the site on which the Sanctuary has been built, came forward and presented the deed of conveyance to the Celebrant, who laid it on the altar, where it remained until the lavabo, when he gave it into the custody of Fr Fynes-Clinton, who held it on behalf of the other trustees during the Mass. Sir William then served the lavabo, an ancient privilege accorded to the donor of lands on which a chapel or church or monastery was founded.

People began to arrive before 10 o'clock before the Pontifical High Mass at 11.30 a.m. The special train from London was over half an hour late, and it seemed impossible that this extra contingent could possibly find places. Every available space was however occupied and the crowds extended outside the church by the time the Bishop actually came to the altar. Father Underhill, late of Liverpool, gave a wonderful address, a résumé of which we hope to give at a later date. At 2.30 p.m. the Parish Church was also thronged to its utmost limit; indeed, the Bishop's procession had to push its way through. Father Alban Baverstock gave a very remarkable and stirring oration, which was followed by Benediction.

We suppose the culminating event must be considered the procession and setting up of the image in the Holy House. Picture then a perfect autumn day, with scarcely a breath of air stirring, the trees clothed in glorious tints and in their setting of old Tudor houses and low red-roofed ancient cottages, a procession with over a thousand people walking, each bearing his or her lighted taper; many women in blue veils, little children in white casting their flowers; dark-habited religious nuns and monks; over a hundred priests in cassock and cotta; the mitred Abbot of Pershore, and Bishop O'Rorke. Behind streamed the many hundreds of other people, all singing the glories of Mary, and in the midst of this throng, high and lifted up upon the shoulders of four clergy in dalmatics, and under a blue and gold canopy fixed to the feretory, sat the venerated figure of Our Lady, crowned with the silver Oxford Crown, and robed in a mantle of cloth of gold.

Around the feretory walked men carrying torches; in front the lay guardians of the Shrine who were able to be present; and behind five of the priest guardians, and immediately following them a group of banners from various parishes, and pilgrim banners. The procession passed between streets hung with flags and wreaths of flowers and evergreens, accompanied by singing and the chiming of the bells of the ancient parish church.

When the head of the procession, which was over half a mile long, arrived at the Court before the Sanctuary, the bells of Our Lady's chimes rang out. The processionists formed up in semi-circular rows on either side of the Porch - first the women in veils, then the nuns, then the monks and the clergy. Finally the Abbot and Bishop reached the entrance to the church, before which rested the image of Mary surrounded by torches and her attendants. The prelate intoned the Magnificat and incensed the Blessed Virgin, at the conclusion of which the feretory was again lifted, and to the strains of the Salve Regina, passed into the Chapel and the Holy House.

Here it was enthroned in the niche prepared above the altar. The relic of the tomb of Our Lady was then placed on the altar, as well as the casket containing the golden book, which had been carried in procession by two girls veiled in white. Two deacons then came to the Bishop for a blessing. One remained in the Holy House, while the other went to the entrance of the church, and in both places the Gospel for the Feast of the Annunciation was sung simultaneously. The function concluded with a solemn Te Deum sung by all within and around the Shrine and those standing in the road outside. It took three quarters of an hour for the pilgrims and visitors to pass in quick succession through the Shrine without pausing.

At six o'clock the first of the nightly devotions - to be said regularly at that hour - was commenced. It is to consist always of the Rosary and the Anthem for the season, and some other short devotion - a litany or a hymn, or some special prayers. Arrangements are being made to have someone always at the Shrine during the day hours, to offer the intercessions there. This will be very difficult to maintain in such a small community as the village of Walsingham, as the regular watch before the Holy Sacrament will still have to be maintained; but we hope many visitors will come and stay at the Hospice, and help us during their visits in this way.

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