To Be A Pilgrim...*

This is the story...Nearly 1000 years ago, a wealthy woman called Richeldis De Faverches lived up in North Norfolk in a village called Walsingham, A devout woman, she prayed daily, and in a dream, the Virgin Mary came to her, and instructed her to build a replica of her home in Nazareth - the Holy House. So she called upon builders to construct a wooden dwelling, with the plans giver to her by Mary - the place where Gabriel announced to her that she would bear God's son, and the home where Jesus grew up. There were problems with the building, but after a night in prayer, Richeldis found the construction miraculously completed. 

Walsingham became a shrine "England's Nazareth" and thousands of pilgrims made the journey to worship there. There were stopping places along the route "slipper chapels" where pilgrims could find rest and refreshment.Then in 1538, Henry VIII ordered it to be burned to the ground, and all the gold and jewels to be taken back to London. The shrine fell into disuse. In 1896, the slipper chapel at the edge of Walsingham was purchased for Catholic worship. 

In the grounds of the abbey is a space where the 'house' stood. Now there is the main shrine in the village centre [CofE - greatly extended in the late 1960s] the Slipper Chapel [RC] a new RC church right in the centre of the village [built in 2006] and two orthodox chapels. [One in Little Walsingham, the other in nearby Great Walsingham] And thousands of Christians from many traditions make their pilgrimages here, every year.

In 1965 when we moved to Norfolk, people said it was an important place to visit - even for Nonconformists like my family. It was dark and gloomy in the old chapel - my little brother had never seen so many candles, and thought it was Jesus birthday, and wanted to blow them out for Him! My parents were bothered by the gift shops selling statues of Mary and I felt it all seemed full of superstition. But we prayed that God would bring light, love and hope to all those who came in search of Him.

Fast forward nearly 60 years. "What shall we do tomorrow?" said Bob. And I said I wanted to go to Walsingham ["to make a pilgrimage" sounds rather OTT] It was an interesting experience. There are a lot of new, bright, light places for prayer and worship. Obviously still lots of Marian theology - signs of previous visitors: Roman Catholics, High Anglicans and Orthodox believers, much in evidence. 

I did like the sign on the Pilgrim House, reminding late night revellers to be silent!On a damp Monday in late April the village was quiet, and peaceful. I took loads of pictures. As well as visiting the churches, we went in the TeaRooms, and Charity Shop. 

In the Shrine Shop I treated myself to a lovely Black Dog Tile, the "Somerset Blessing" to put up at Cornerstones near the one Liz gave me.. 
I will put more pictures in a future post. I am still processing my thoughts and feelings about the whole idea of what it means to be a pilgrim in 2024

*this is the refrain from John Bunyan's great hymn, which comes in Part 2 of his book The Pilgrim's Progress