Parish and other Pilgrimages
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PAGE 1
Fr Patten looked back at organised pilgrimages
in the early days
an early pilgrimage before the Translation 1925
St Barnabas, Pimlico 1928
Norwich Anglo-Catholic Pilgrimage 1928
League of Our Lady/Society of Mary from
Birmingham from 1932
St Andrew's, Willesden 1934
Bradford and Worth Valley 1935
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Scottish Pilgrimage 1936
Southend & District Pilgrimage Association from
1946
St Augustine's, Tonge Moor 1947
Oakworth (Bradford) 1948
St Mary Magdalene, Millfield, Sunderland 1959
SCOTTISH PILGRIMAGE 1936 [after the Holy House was built but before the Shrine Church]
from Our Lady's Mirror, Summer 1936 number
This season will ever be marked in the annals as the year when the first organised Scottish
pilgrimage came to Walsingham since the destruction of the original Holy House. These
adventurers, led by Father Joblin of St Michael's, Edinburgh, heard Mass and were blessed at 6
o'clock on Saturday, August 22nd, and after a hurried breakfast boarded the train for their long
journey to East Anglia. Other members of the pilgrimage came by road. Arrived before the
Sanctuary the weary travellers led by a blue-eyed laddie carrying a votive banner, made their first
visit. The whole pilgrimage was a most happy event, and already plans are being set on foot for a
second Scottish Visit in 1937.
from The Scottish Guardian 9 October 1936
As the date of the Pilgrimage drew nearer my enthusiasm waned. Memories of my first and only
Retreat came back to me, when as an undergraduate I had spent a dreary weekend in
Cambridge, being tormented by a hearty "loyal" Anglican clergyman. I prayed that I might
develop a chill before it was too late. Then again, I am rather fussy about food, and I had visions
of all sorts of depressing meals eaten in the company of elderly ladies whose spectacular piety
would only increase my indignation. But it was now too late, and I had promised to go to
Walsingham.
As I was on holiday at the time, I was able to persuade two other Scottish friends to come down
from London with me. One of them conveyed us in his car, so leaving town, we bowled along the
flat but pleasant roads of Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire very happily, and so arrived at
Walsingham about 5 p.m. on Saturday, 22nd August.
Christian Atmosphere
And here just a word about Walsingham itself; the village has for its main feature a long, rather
sloping street between old-fashioned thatched cottages, and the ruins of two great monasteries
on either side of the highway. Just an East Anglian village in picturesque surroundings; we could
see the flannel trousers of trippers alternating with the breeches and leggings of the local farm-
workers. But everywhere one also sees evidence of a specially Christian atmosphere; notices "To
the Holy House" are to be seen in the windows of shops and inns, while several repositories
displaying pictures and objects of piety testify to the presence of a Holy Shrine close at hand.
As we drove through the village we met a well-known Edinburgh W.S., who had just arrived
before us, and our first welcome was from him. He told us that he was speeding off to Fakenham
station, six miles away, to meet our leader, Fr. Joblin, and the pilgrims who were coming by train
from Edinburgh; he told us also that the whole party were to meet at the Holy House at 6.45 p.m.
for our first visit to the Shrine in Walsingham. Our rooms had been booked at the Black Lion Inn,
which has housed every Sovereign of England from William the Conqueror to Henry VIII, and has
not altered much since the 16th century. At this hostelry a little grey-haired lady welcomed us,
and told us something of the great pilgrimages that have come to Walsingham in recent years
from many famous London parishes and from all over England; she added that we Scots were
always "behindhand", whatever that may have meant.
The Blue Blanket
At 6.30 we found our way to the Shrine, our small party of three reinforced by a friend who had
motored all the way from Nairn to join us. There on the spot we met Father Hope Patten, Vicar of
the Parish, and Father Derrick Lingwood, the Pilgrimage Secretary. While we were exchanging
greetings, the bus arrived and out clambered a little laddie carrying the Scottish Pilgrimage
Banner of blue and silver with the Cross of St. Andrew, our Patron; he was followed by Father
Joblin, who is Rector of St. Michael’s, Edinburgh, and the rest of the pilgrims, all looking very
fresh and fit in spite of their ten-hour train journey. And so we made our first visit to the Holy
House, England’s Nazareth. Among the Intercessions, the priest prayed that the glorious Mother
of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ might make good all that was imperfect in our poor
requests, and thus obtain for us the blessing of a heart completely surrendered to His Will. This
was the introductory act of our visit.
After a delightful supper served by the Sisters in the Pilgrims’ Refectory, we returned to the
Shrine, where Fr. Joblin gave us a little address. He spoke of Pilgrimage Places throughout the
ages, and dealt in particular with the history of Walsingham. The evening closed with Benediction
of the Blessed Sacrament, after which Confessions were heard, and so to bed, feeling rather
unaccountably happy.
Whole Village Astir
Sunday morning was heralded by a blaze of sunshine and scent of honeysuckle, and after
customary ablutions (all in cold water), I set forth from the Black Lion. The whole village was astir
at a quarter to eight for the early Mass at the Parish Church; there were boys and girls on
pushbikes, and older men and women sedately walking. But my companions and I were bound for
the Holy House again, where our Priest-Conductor was to say Mass for the Scottish pilgrims.
Everyone seemed to be in the Chapel before our arrival, and with difficulty we found corners to
kneel in. The beautiful statue of Our Lady was lit with many tapers, and the little chapel seemed
to be silently thrilling with the quiet business of prayer, when the server pushed his way through
the crowds who knelt on the floor to make a passage for the priest to the altar. I kept reminding
myself that to a true Catholic it would all be just the same at Paisley or Prestonpans, and yet
everything seemed different in a strange way in this sacred centre.
Making the Stations
Breakfast followed in the Refectory, and at 10 o’clock we set out to make the Way of the Cross at
the open-air Stations in the lovely Shrine garden, under the guidance of our Leader. Over and
over again we prayed, “O God, I love Thee with my whole heart, and above all things, and am
heartily sorry that I have ever offended Thee. May I never offend Thee any more. O May I love
Thee without ceasing, and make it my delight in all things to do Thy Holy Will”. This was our
Litany.
When we had finished the Stations, we made for the Parish Church to join with the people of the
village in their Parish Mass. The church was full to suffocation, though I imagine it must hold at
least 400 people. I noticed our landlady, the postman, and the Master of a Cambridge College
among the congregation, and the Mass music was well sung by a large choir of men and boys – a
fine service.
After church we had a stroll round, and then met again at the Hospice for an excellent lunch,
after which came the Intercessions, and our visit to the Holy Well. I shall not soon forget the
reading of the Intercessions by the Leader; they were of all sorts, personal and general. For
Spain; for the Conversion of Scotland; for the return of a friend to the Sacraments; for a greater
sense of devotion to the Blessed Sacrament – all just as they were written and sent in by the
pilgrims themselves. After each group of petitions came the oft-repeated prayer, “Sacred Heart of
Jesus, have mercy on us; Jesus full of goodness and love, have mercy on us; Our Lady of
Walsingham, pray for us”. Then the pilgrims in turn drank of the water of the Holy Well, and were
blessed one by one.
All this may seem to be the record of rather an intensive Sunday’s worship, but the curious things
if that when these devotions were over at about 3 p.m., we felt almost lost when we heard that
we were free to go and explore the village or anywhere else we liked until the 6.30 p.m.
Evensong in the Parish Church. My friends and I pushed off to Hunstanton to get a breath of the
sea, and others went with the youngsters to row or bathe at Wells-on-Sea, where the pilgrims
from Scotland and abroad used to land long ago in the far-off ages of Faith.
The First Scottish Pilgrims
I have attended evening service and Benediction in many lands, but it was a wonderful
experience to hear the well-known hymns, “O Saving Victim” and “Therefore we before Him
bending”, sung in English instead of Latin by English folk in honour of Christ the King; it was
inspiring, too, to reflect that we were the first party of Scottish pilgrims to visit the restored
Shrine since its destruction four hundred years ago by the forces of Satan. The experiences of
that unforgettable weekend can only be a personal memory; it is impossible to describe them. I
will merely say that once again one felt rather lost and lonely when Sunday’s worship was over,
and we came out of church.
Supper and a most pointed and vigorous discussion about modern architecture closed the day, for
we were to be at Mass at 7 a.m. the next morning. It was St. Bartholomew’s Day, and the
crimson chasuble was the colour of the giant peonies in the Sisters’ garden. Suitcases and bags
were stacked outside the little chapel of the Holy House, and then after a hurried breakfast we
made our last visit to the Shrine.
“Alas, O Mary, I must leave this Sanctuary of your choice, this holy place, trodden by so many of
your clients throughout the ages. I have now to return to my ordinary daily life, which will be no
easier, no less difficult, than in the days that have passed, but I go with a new purpose, increased
fidelity, and a renewed assurance of your constant prayers”. So prayed our Leader, and so pray I,
hoping that in the Month of Mary next year an even larger band of Scots people will come to visit
the Shrine of the Holy Mother of God, and by her gracious aid may help to win back our country
for her Son.
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SOUTHEND & DISTRICT PILGRIMAGE ASSOCIATION : from 1946
from Our Lady's Mirror, Spring Number 1955
The Southend and District Pilgrimage Association came into being as a direct result of a
pilgrimage to Walsingham in 1946, when some sixty people from churches in or near Southend-
on-Sea united in this act of thanksgiving for the end of the war. The following year, 1947, saw a
further pilgrimage and it was suggested afterwards that those taking part should form a small
association to promote an annual visit to the Shrine of Our Lady and to spread knowledge of
Walsingham wherever opportunity offered. It was felt too that such an association might be able
to make its small contribution to the life of the Church in other ways, in particular by
encouraging pilgrimages to holy places within reach and by creating an organisation for its
members and friends that would make such journeys possible.
A Chaplain was appointed and a Committee formed in 1947 and since that time the Association
has been able to carry out a full programme every year. The chief event is of course the
Walsingham pilgrimage and in addition one other long-distance pilgrimage to a Cathedral or
other shrine is also undertaken. There are normally from four to six other visits, frequently to
small country parishes where priests are teaching the Catholic faith to small and sometimes
rather unresponsive congregations. By such visits the Association tries to help in the work of
Catholic evangelism; its members see something of the work and worship of small parishes that
they would not otherwise know, and we are told that such visits are often very useful stimuli to
those on the spot.
Some years ago the Association was able to set up its own shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham in
a local Church and here on the fourth Friday in each month members meet for a short office
and Intercessions. These follow closely on the pattern of those offered in the Holy House, and a
number of thanksgivings have already been recorded for answers to prayer. A weekly Mass is
also said by the Chaplain for the work of the Association.
As far as possible, pilgrimages or visits are arranged to take place on or near to one of the
Feasts of Our Lady and the Walsingham pilgrimage is always made in Mary’s month of May.
Until last year, the Walsingham pilgrimages had been day pilgrimages only, but last year’s and
this year’s are week-end visits and it is hoped that this will now become the rule. In addition it
is hoped to arrange a day pilgrimage later in the year for those who cannot be away for the full
week-end.
Care in organisation has resulted in minimum cost to pilgrims and any surplus in the funds at
the end of the year enables a donation to be sent to the work of the Shrine. For the past two
years the Association has published a small annual magazine on the eve of its Annual general
meeting, giving a resume of the year’s work and the latest news from Walsingham in addition to
other interesting articles.
Membership of the Association is open to Anglicans who are in sympathy with its objects, and
who live within a reasonable distance of Southend-on-Sea.
The practical usefulness of an organisation such as this extends in many directions. It has been
responsible for bringing home hundreds of people to Walsingham over the past seven years –
many of who have experienced a deepened devotion to Our Lady and the mystery of the
Incarnation as a result and not a few of whom have benefited from prayer at the shrine or
sprinkling at the well. It has been the means of many prayers and much intercession being
offered in Holy Places . . . in some perhaps for the first time since the Reformation. Many of its
members have been able to visit places which ordinarily would have presented considerable
difficulties – such as Religious Houses at a considerable distance away – or to join in
observances such as the Whit Monday pilgrimage at Walsingham, the Commemoration of King
Charles the Martyr in London, or the Corpus Christi procession at Otford, to mention but one or
two examples. From time to time, walking pilgrimages have been undertaken by some of the
junior members. All these experiences bring to those who participate in them a new vista of the
life and work of the Church outside their own parishes. The feeling of happy devotion that
pervades these pilgrimages must be experienced to be appreciated. Many friendships have been
formed and new links forged.
It is in the hope that possible this experiment which God has prospered, may interest others
who might like to try something of the same kind elsewhere, that these notes have been
written.
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ST AUGUSTINE'S, TONGE MOOR 1947
from Our Lady's Mirror, Autumn and Winter Number 1947-8
We had to come from Bolton in the foggy North. None of us had even been to Norfolk before.
We had wondered for a long time how to make the pilgrimage from here, as it is nearly 200
miles each way, trains are awkward, and to charter a special "chara" would be beyond young
people's pockets. To hitch-hike would not give us enough time. We only get two holidays in the
year here, in July and September, from Saturday to Thursday. We do not go in for Bank
Holidays. But something happened. One of the Boys who attends St Augustine's in the
holidays has a father who is a furniture remover. He is of the "personal touch type", still able
to do things on his own responsibility. He asked his foreman ("Bob") if he would like the trip,
who said he would if he could take his wife. And that's how fifteen of us had a free lift both
ways in a furniture van, while five others (a whole family) came in a private car. One of our
priests [Fr Humphrey Whistler] came with us, and another [Fr Kenneth Child] met us at
Walsingham. They belong to the Company of Mission Priests, which has a "House" here, and
runs this parish (St Augustine's, Tonge Moor) somewhat as your College of St Augustine runs
Walsingham and Houghton; though as yet we have no lay brothers.
We all intended to keep the Greater Pilgrimage, and had a copy of the Manual before we came.
We went to our confessions the night before and attended a Votive Mass for Pilgrims and
Travellers the next morning before setting off at 8 a.m. It was a long journey and we could not
see much. The back was slightly open, but let in more fumes than fresh air. Kelham was our
half-way "station", where we were welcomed by one of our former priests who has joined the
Society of the Sacred Mission. The furniture van was not uncomfortable as we had put four
settees in it, but some of us suffered a good deal from road-sickness. We eventually arrived at
Walsingham at 7 p.m., and after finding our various billets, enjoyed the first of many excellent
meals provided by the Sisters in the Refectory. The private car arrived a little later, having had
to buy and fit a new radiator on the way.
Benediction that evening in the beautiful Shrine Church, and our first visit to the Holy House,
was unforgettable, and a great climax to the day. The atmosphere of the "Holy Land of
Walsingham" had infected us at once, added to which there is nothing so moving as arriving
safely at the goal of your pilgrimage. I will not describe the details of the Greater Pilgrimage,
familiar to you; daily Mass, which we all attended; Sung Mass at the Parish Church; Evensong
and Devotions at St Giles; the Stations of the Cross, winding through the garden in brilliant
sunlight; and finally the visit to the Holy Well, after offering our petitions in the Holy House.
None of us had particularly bodily ailments, but others here have benefited since, and all of us
in different ways, known only to ourselves. Not the least striking has been its effect on"Bob"
and his wife, who joined in everything with us.
A "highlight" of the pilgrimage, not part of the official routine, was on Sunday evening, when
we all gathered in the Shrine, and Father Derrick [Lingwood] talked to us for for a whole hour
(tired as he was), at our request, about the wonderful history of Walsingham in the past, and
the still more wonderful restoration of the Shrine of Our Lady in such recent years, still
unknown to so many in England, with all the pilgrimages, and the miracles that Our Lady has
begun to work again for the faithful, through her intercession with her Son. We could have
gone on all night listening to him.
We had a day off on Tuesday, and paid a visit to Blakeney, visiting its beautiful Church,
associated with your Bishop O'Rorke, and wading across mud-flats to the sea.
Now Tonge Moor is full of the story of our pilgrimage, and very envious. I think we have learnt
a new personal love and veneration for Our Lord's Mother, and to think of her as a real person,
actively helping us, and loving us. To show our love and gratitude to her we were present at
the Mass of her Nativity the next Monday. We hope to keep up our contact with Our Lady of
Walsingham by always attending her Mass, if possible, on the first Saturday of each month,
when the two priests who came with us have an obligation to say Mass for the pilgrims, as
they are now Priest-Associates of the Holy House. [by Fr Humphrey Whistler]
AND ST AUGUSTINE'S HAVE COME ON PILGRIMAGE AT THE SAME DATE EVERY YEAR SINCE THEN
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OAKWORTH 1948
from Our Lady's Mirror, Autumn Number 1948
The twelfth annual pilgrimage by Brontë Bus took place on Whit Monday. For the second time the
360 miles were covered in one day. So the Sacraments were received in Oakworth or the other
home Churches of the pilgrims. The Itinerary was said in Oakworth Church on Whit Sunday
evening, and the pilgrims were blessed and sprinkled with holy water immediately after the Mass
at 4 a.m. on the Monday morning. Some two dozen pilgrims – men, women and children – of
ages ranging from four to sixty years were in the motor-bus ready to begin the 180 mile journey
at 4.30 a.m. Fr. Ross, now Vicar of Holy Trinity, Bradford, and further pilgrims from Bradford,
Burnley and Dewsbury were collected before many miles had been covered.
Fr. Dolman, Parish Priest of Cromwell, near Newark-on-Trent, had made arrangements for the
pilgrims to have breakfast in a café garden in his parish at 7.15 a.m. Fr. Dolman once again gave
the pilgrims a happy welcome, and said the Litany of Our Lady with them in his beautiful Church
just before they continued their journey and he began his Mass.
King’s Lynn was reached soon after 10 a.m., and the pilgrims were in the Holy House soon after
11 a.m. Then they joined happily in the functions of the day, the children gaining good positions
for the High mass, some of the others, assisting at the Low Mass in the garden, while the rest
gallantly crushed themselves into the Church. Meals were taken at the Guildshop café. Amid
much congestion and many halts, they made the Stations in the blazing sunshine of the
afternoon – their banner of the Holy Family was carried before them in the procession through
the streets.
Many who had not been able to reach the Holy Well earlier in the day, returned there when things
were quieter after tea; and intercessions were offered in the Shrine at the same time.
Canon Goodworth had made arrangements for supper at 8.15 p.m., under the patronage of S.
Peter at the Inn of the Cross Keys in his parish of Suttertoy, on the Great North Road. Oakworth
was reached soon after 1 a.m. on Tuesday morning – all the pilgrims agreeing that the time had
been all too short, and looking forward to coming again and bringing other people with them.
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S MARY MAGDALENE, MILLFIELD, SUNDERLAND 1959
provided by Fr Skelton and the parish
The first pilgrimage from the parish started on 1st August 1959. The Fraternity of the Holy
House of Our Lady of Walsingham & S. Bede the Venerable was established on 1st February
1961 with Fr. Charles Leslie Barron as first Superior. Fr Beresford Skelton is only the second
Superior in the 45 years of its existence. The Diploma of Fraternity hangs on the wall of the
Lady Chapel.
Fr. Graeme Carey, Assistant Curate of our parish,
asked the Sunday Night Club if they would like to
visit a very special place in Norfolk – a Shrine of
Our Lady that had once been the greatest Shrine
in England and devotion had been revived there -
for a Pilgrimage in the first weekend of August,
the end of the shipyard’s fortnight holiday. Thirty
or more people said they would very much like to
make the journey.
It was not going to be an easy or restful Bank
Holiday week-end. It could only be a Sunday night
stay in Walsingham because a great number of
the pilgrims had to be back at work on the
Tuesday. The pilgrimage could not start until late
on Saturday night because one of the pilgrims
worked in a Gents’ Outfitters and the shop did not
close until after 6.00pm on Fridays.
Everyone gathered at S. Mary Magdalene’s Church and had cups of tea and sandwiches in the
Church Hall. There were Marian Devotions in Church and the Itinerary before everyone got on
board a coach hired from Don Smiths Coaches Durham. A number of pilgrims expressed their
thanks for the prayers offered when they saw the coach. It must have been the oldest one on
his books. Would it make the journey to Walsingham without Divine Intervention?
The journey was long and there was little opportunity for sleep. The Pilgrims were so excited at
making such a long journey at dead of night. The sense of adventure and excitement was
almost tangible among children and adults alike. This was really something very different from
anything they had done before. The children were unable to contain their anticipation until they
fell asleep with exhaustion. There were very late night, and very early morning, stops for
refreshment and comfort. The road was slow – the old A1 - with out any of the by-passes and
dual carriageways. When we left the A1 we wound our way along the A17 through all the
villages, passing great shadows of churches and crossing great rivers until in the early hours of
the morning day light started to appear as we came near to Kings Lynn.
We got out of the coach at the Slipper Chapel at about 5.00am and walked into Walsingham,
while Fr. Carey led us in praying the Rosary. It felt very like S. Mary Magdalene coming to the
tomb in the first light of Easter Day. Mother Margaret Mary was waiting to welcome us with hot
tea and a slice of bread in the kitchen (which is now Stella Maris Green Room). The boarding
out of the Pilgrims was confirmed – a great number of us were at Mount Pleasant and a few at
Great Walsingham. Having had breakfast the Mass could not be celebrated until the three hour
fast had been observed. We were taken down to the Shrine Church for our First Visit to the
Holy House. Everyone was struck by the beauty of the small Holy House inside the Church and
the sense of wonder of being in such a holy place could not have escaped anyone. Fr. Carey
celebrated Mass for us at a side altar in the Shrine Church and we went to the Parish Church
later in the morning. The afternoon was spent in the Shrine Gardens.
In the late afternoon there was intercession in the Holy House and Sprinkling at The Well. This
was a most moving devotion and everyone felt that they had been touched by God. In the
evening everyone gathered again into the Shrine Church for the Address, given by Fr. Colin
Stephenson, and Benediction. Some of the other pilgrims stayed behind for their last visit but
S. Mary Magdalene Pilgrims made their way to their lodgings after supper.
The following morning before breakfast Fr. Carey celebrated for us and breakfast was served in
the Marquee. After that we made our way round the garden for Stations of the Cross. After
lunch there must have been some more free time in the afternoon because many of the
Pilgrims had bought articles from the Shrine Shop which was also part of the Archway building
of what is now Stella Maris.
The Pilgrimage concluded with the Last Visit at about because 4.00pm because there was the
long journey back to face – the winding roads of Norfolk and the A1. Again use was made the
“greasy spoon” cafes along the way.
The total cost of the pilgrimage – coach fare and boarding – was £3.10s 0d (£3.50). Most of us
had saved £1 as spending money were asked to take 10s (50p) as a donation for the work of
the Shrine. The Pilgrims’ Manuals were 1/6 (7 1/2p) and were very thorough in setting out the
meaning and objects of a Pilgrimage and the form of the spiritual exercises that each type of
pilgrimage would follow whether it was a Greater Pilgrimage, lasting three days, the Day or
Private pilgrimage or in the case of S. Mary Magdalene’s first pilgrimage the week-end
Pilgrimage.
That first visit to Walsingham, to England’s Nazareth, inspired us at S. Mary Magdalene to
make it a regular event in the spiritual life of the parish and so it is that 47 years later pilgrims
still come to Walsingham in an unbroken chain of visits at least once a year and sometimes
even four times a year. The Fraternity of Our Lady of Walsingham was given its Diploma in
February 1961 and the Lady Chapel was refurbished to make space for a Statue of Our Lady of
Walsingham. The image of Our Lady of Walsingham is in the niche above the altar, and can be
seen on our Parish Website. As we prepare for the 75 Anniversary of the Translation of the
Image at Walsingham itself we cannot help wondering whether Fr. Hope Patten who had died
the year before, had any notion that what he had started would involve such a large number of
pilgrims, and had Fr. Carey any idea what seeds he had sown in the parish of S. Mary
Magdalene Millfield and across the region, because he and Edward Ross were forever on the
road visiting church groups to promote the Shrine and encourage parishes to found Cells of Our
Lady of Walsingham.
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1947: a typical ‘group photo’of over 70 years
ago:Tonge Moor about to leave for home;
the Sunderland group photo 1959 is below