Youth Pilgrimage 2010
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On
Friday 16th July a small group of us set off for our annual
pilgrimage to Walsingham. When we
arrived we found our rooms and had time to unpack before going for the First
Visit and Mass in the Holy house which Fr David said for just our group. During the First Visit each person thinks of
their intentions for the pilgrimage. Fr David
gave a short sermon during which he told us when he was young he lived next
door to an ‘aunt’ who always kept her house immaculate, when he went to play
with his friend they always had to keep the house tidy but his mother wasn’t
like that, their house was always messy and full of toys and things laying
around. When his friend came over to
play they enjoyed themselves because they felt relaxed and at home. Fr David explained that he thought the
Holy house was like that, it was so full of things and a place you could be
comfortable in.
It was
then time to join the rest of the pilgrims staying there for Evening prayer
followed by the Rosary during which all the prayers sent in to the shrine are
prayed. This was followed by a delicious
dinner in the refectory. Most of the
group then went to sample Walsingham’s night life, this year without having to
worry about being in before the 11 pm curfew as we were staying in the Richeldis block which has its own entry code.
The next
morning we met up for a full English breakfast.
Fr David had booked us in for Mass in the Holy house again which he said
for our departed friends, especially those who had previously been on
pilgrimage with us but were now no longer with us. Later that morning most of our group walked
the Stations of the Cross. These take
you around the shrine grounds and include a stone ‘tomb’ which you can enter
and three large crosses at Calvary. We
then met up again for a large lunch in the refectory; Walsingham is not the
place to go if you are on a diet!
Saturday
afternoon was free time so Paul and I wondered around the shops getting some
items for our repository in church before having a rest. We then joined the other pilgrims for the
Shrine Mass. For this we were sitting in
one of the side chapels and noticed that we were sitting behind the tomb of Fr Arthur
Tooth and were surprised to see he had been imprisoned for his faith and had
died in 1931. Paul and I were puzzled by
this and went back later to check the date; surely no one had been imprisoned
for their faith as recently as that? However, it was right. Later that evening, still puzzled, was asked
Fr David who explained that he had been imprisoned for the use of incense,
candles, and vestments which was at the time illegal and that our former organist,Max, had know Fr Arthur.
After
another large dinner we gathered for the candle lit Procession of Our Lady
during which we process around the grounds while singing the Walsingham hymn. This was followed by the ministries of Laying
on of hands, anointing and confession. All
of which are around the Shrine church and you are welcome to go to as many or
as few as you wish. These finished at
around 10pm so we quickly went out again to sample the night life.
Sunday
morning I was up bright and early and went to join the Sisters at the priory
for the Office of Readings and Morning Prayer.
The Priory is next to the shrine and anyone can join them for any of
their offices, they also have the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament every
morning and you are free to go in to their chapel for quiet prayer anytime. After another full English breakfast we set
off down to the Parish church for their Mass and were then back at the shrine
in time for another large lunch.
At 2pm
we gathered at the Shrine church for Sprinkling at the Well. We then had time for a very quick tea before
we had to be back for the Procession of the Blessed Sacrament around the
grounds with Benediction, which Paul was Crucifer for, followed by the Last
Visit. It was then time to pack up and
start our long journey back home.
Carol