“O God, may we dwell with You in the gathering of Your holy people, the Church.”
I spent the weekend on pilgrimage in Walsingham at the Catholic National Shrine & Basilica of Our Lady. I’ll post photos (see updates) shortly but as a primer of the importance of Walsingham to England and to Catholics this video with Kevin Turley and Joseph Pearce is exceptional. My pilgrimage occurred during the feast of Christ the King on the last Sunday of Ordinary Time.
(1) A walk through Walsingham with Joseph Pearce (YouTube)
(2) Here’s the story of how the feast of Christ the King came about (Catholic News Agency)
(3) The Wilton Diptych at the National Gallery
(4) Our Lady of Walsingham Installed in Chapel of St George in Cathedral
(5) Converts of the Catholic Literary Revival – Featuring Joseph Pearce (YouTube)
(6) The Statue of Our Lady of Walsingham
(7) Prayer in reparation for the destruction of the Original Shrine in 1538
Heavenly Father, we pray in thanksgiving for the opportunity today of praying in the National Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham.
Heavenly Father, we pray in reparation for the untold sacrilege of the Mass and the Blessed Eucharist which was committed during the English Reformation.
Father, in Your mercy accept our prayer of reparation for the destruction by our ancestors of so much which was holy, and especially the dishonoring of Your holy and Blessed Mother Mary.
We praise and thank You and humbly ask You to hear and accept our prayers of reparation and intercession.
Our Lady of Walsingham, Our Lady of Reconciliation, we come before you in humble prayer and ask you to intercede for us and reconcile us with your Son Jesus and His Church. Lay before Him our prayer of reparation this day and obtain for us the graces of conversion of life, reconciliation with our enemies, especially those within our own families. May faith and peace return to our Nation and may it once again be proud to be knows as the Dowry of Mary. Amen.
Sources: Daily Meditations on the Psalms and Pilgrim Handbook: Celebrating the Joy of Mary at the Annunciation
Updates
Walsingham (Flickr)
Notes
Rented a car for this trip. Considered biking from Norwich but great British weather. This was some serious white knuckle motoring. It was easier driving in Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany.