Sunday, September 06, 2015

Walsingham 2015: Third Day and epilogue

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The start of the third day, Sunday, is exciting, since having walked about 20 miles the day before we have only about 11 miles aheard of us. The sky was a bit overcast, which was a relief after the sun of Saturday. On the final day we carry the processional statue of Our Lady of Walsingham.

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Every day whichever of our priests isn't saying the High Mass has to find a time and place
to say a private Mass. This was in St Etheldreda's in Ely and Oxburgh chapel on day 2, but at
Great Massingham we made do with a makeshift Altar.
It is still quite a tough walk, however; Norfolk stops being quite so flat as you get closer to Walsingham, and our scheduled arrival in the Shrine can't be allowed to slip. So off we went.

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Leaving from our (early) lunch stop.
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Arriving in the Shrine with the Director, Mgr John Armitage.
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High Mass in Reconciliation Chapel. The contrast of daylight coming from behind the Altar
and orange arc lamps in the ceiling mean that black and white photography looks a lot less strange
than colour.
During Mass in the Catholic Shrine, which was attended by about 200 people, it began to rain. Our procession for the last mile to the site of the Medieval shrine in Little Walsingham itself turned out to a very damp affair. We completed it, nevertheless, and gave thanks to Our Lady in the place where the Holy House had once stood.

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Veneration of our statue of Our Lady of Walsingham and blessing from our chaplains concluded the formal part of the pilgrimage, but we also have a sung Mass on Monday morning in the medieval Slipper Chapel, which forms the heart of the Catholic Shrine.

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