Two More Walsingham Churches..

After our breakfast and CS visit, we walked to the RC Church [we did not go out of town to the Slipper chapel though. Another time perhaps?] There were Roman Catholics in Walsingham till the mid 16^th Century when Henry VIII made life very difficult for them. Three hundred years later, Charlotte Boyd, a Catholic convert, gave the Slipper Chapel at Houghton St Giles on the outskirts of Walsingham, intending it for liturgical use. It became the national Catholic Shrine. When the Anglicans established their shrine in the village in the 1930s, it was felt that the small brick hut being used as a Catholic Church in the village centre should be replaced. A ‘temporary church’ was put up in the Friday Market place in the 1950s but it was not until 1966 that plans were drawn up for a proper building.

Work finally commenced in 2005 to the designs of local architect Anthony Rossi. The cost of the building was well over a million pounds. It was consecrated 2006. The year is picked out in red brick and flint on the front of the church, a round tower - evocative of so many early Norfolk churches, rising above. You enter the building through wooden doors  where one of the first things you see on entering is a reminder that this structure is not merely traditional. A solar energy unit displays how much electricity is being generated by the panels on the roof, how much is being used, and how much stored.The Church of The Annunciation was designed to be Britain's first carbon-neutral church. 

The interior you step into beyond is wide, open and fan-shaped, focused on the narrow window behind the altar. The stained glass depicts Christ – but behind him the icthus – the ancient symbol of  the Christian faith. The other focus is the font, with the holy oils displayed behind it in containers of coloured glass. The overall sense is of simplicity and beauty.

It was very peaceful, and thoughtfully planned. Carbon neutral, and welcoming, and right in the heart of the community. I really liked the wooden pews- intelligently planned with a kneeling rail which folded out of the way, and the end two seats in each row could be flipped up too for the placement of wheelchairs or baby buggies. I sat quietly at the back, enjoying the light streaming in, and imagining what it would feel like when the place was packed with pilgrims celebrating and worshipping together. 

Then we walked down the hill to the Anglican Shrine - now nearly a hundred years old, things have been added over the years 

- an outdoor altar in front of a huge grassy area, and three tall wooden crosses to the side - a constant reminder of the events of Easter.

I must confess that although the small chapel to one side was peaceful, and the information panels in the entrance very informative, I didn't really like this site as much as the other two. Perhaps that was just me, and my aching feet.

Would I consider doing a pilgrimage? I am not sure that I would, to be honest. To set aside the everyday responsibilities and walk to a special place of prayer, re-evaluating life goals, and seeking to get to know God better are good things to do, I cannot deny that. When I was younger I felt uncomfortable about the idea of those who seemed happy to leave others to look after their family, and other tasks whilst they went off "to find themselves" or "find God". For some people, I know it has been a life changing experience. A relative took her daughter, who had major health issues, on a couple of pilgrimages to Lourdes, and it did bring her comfort, and she made lasting friendships with other pilgrims. 

But it's not for me. I am happy to get on with life in the place where I am, and find God every day, both in quiet moments of solitary reflection in surprising places - and in loud and joyful worship with others. 

But I enjoyed my visit to this corner of Norfolk which has been special to so many for so long. It was a good reminder of the breadth of the church, and the diversity of those in God's family.May you have love, joy, peace and hope, in your journey this week...