There exists a Cell of Our Lady of Walsingham at St Peters. The Cell is open to all but principally to members of the Society of Our Lady of Walsingham. Times of Cell meetings will be published here and on our Home page as and when they are arranged.
2022 Pilgrimages:
Youth Pilgrimage (11+) 1st to 5th August.
Parish Pilgrimage 29th to 31st July.
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Pilgrimage to England’s Nazareth, the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, has played an important part in the development of the spiritual life of St Peters. Through the pilgrimage people have come to understand the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the divine plan for the restoration of the creation by the birth, or incarnation of Christ, his life, death and resurrection. A pilgrimage is the ideal opportunity to come together as a parish and develop your spiritual experience with other like minded people from all over the world. Also to take time out and visit the lovely Norfolk coast and countryside.
The vision of the pious lady of the manor of Walsingham Parva, Richeldis de Faverches, gave rise to the second most visited shrine of holy occurences in mediaeval Europe, after Rome, until the maryrdom of St Thomas of Canterbury 100 years later. Walsingham drew pilgrims from all over Europe, especially those who would not be capable of visiting the Holy Land; they could visit Nazareth in north Norfolk, where Our Lady asked Richeldis to build a replica of the Holy House. The House stood until 1538 when Prior Nicholas Mileham was cruelly butchered at the orders of Thomas Cromwell’s commissioners. The Canons were dispersed and the shrine despoiled. Revival for the Church of England took place via the vision of Fr Alfred Hope Patten, vicar of the parish in the 1920s. A new shrine was constructed and the Holy House restored. Since then the shrine has offered a place of prayer, intercession, healing and vision for countless pilgrims, among whom feature many of the people of St Peters Crabbs Cross. Many describe their visit to the Holy House as a kind of homecoming – a place of security, warmth and peace.
Pilgrimage has many elements: journey with others, the centrality of the Mass, but also receiving water at Walsingham’s well, anointing, intercession at Our Lady’s feet, the opportunity of the sacrament of reconciliation and quiet prayer time as well as fun, getting to know fellow parishioners in a way not always possible in the usual run of parish life.
St Peters has two pilgrimages per year, one for the parish and one for those between 11 and 18, the Youth Pilgrimage, organised by the shrine. Both have had profound effects in the spiritual development of worshipers at St Peters. The rector discovered the beginnings of his vocation to the priesthood at Walsingham and has been a Priest Associate of the Holy House for 27 years. When we have young people ready to make their first Holy Communion, we often try to take them to Walsingham for a couple of days to soak up the Spirit in that wonderful holy place.
More details can be found at www.walsinghamanglican.org.uk
YouTube has snippets of Youth Pilgrimages.