Walsingham Deanery Pilgrimage and looking forward to next week at All Saints

The Deanery weekend pilgrimage (to where? where else I ask you, other than the Shrine, the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham?) was a return for me to the heart of the pilgrimage. Celebrating a requiem at the Guild of All Souls is always important for me, bringing with me the prayers of those remaining in the parish, as was Sunday morning Mass in the Holy House, always a privilege to offer there.

In the interregnum following Frs North and Barne’s departure the Franciscan Brothers Paschal and Maximillian are doing stunning work running the Shrine, backed up as always by the retireds. The Sprinkling and Annointing (I was on Oils duty this year, a job I just love) was particularly powerful: healing at a time of need for many, including myself.

The Pilgrims were a largely happy bunch, and gelled well together. The majority come from one parish. I hope this cameraderie will persist if/when the Deanery get even more on board. Their Priest was very ill, and needed a wheechair for much of the weekend, very depleted of energy. Prayers for healing, please, for Mother C.

Coach to the Slipper Chapel in the pouring rain, and yet it held off as we said the Rosary on the way back. By mid-afternoon it was clear and bright (though cold). Deo Gratias.

After Rosary, we sang the Walsingham Hymn and the Salve Regina (Sister Act style), but I couldn’t rmember the words to “Shrine, Mary’s Shrine”, but here they are:

Shrine, Mary’s Shrine
Destination of faithful pilgrims

Foretaste of heaven
open wide your doors

Shrine, Mary’s Shrine
Holy House, England’s Nazareth

Our Lady is here
and we honour her name!

(to a tune highly familar and the work of Mr Graham Kendrick)

Next weekend, I shall be in the Guildford Diocese, preaching for the patronal festival of All Saints, Woodham. I am preaching the Saturday Night Solemnity in Traditional Style (and yes, I can do this – how lovely to be treated as a proper priest for once!) and the following morning to lead an act of Blesséd inspired All-Age Worship. I will publish both the liturgy and the sermon at a more appropriate time.

New video, for the Agnus Dei – using audio from the strangely marvellous Rufus Wainwright:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVbdzqOrOjg