Early 2020 began to experience the pandemic. Government regulations demanded a rather topsy turvey observance. There were times when our churches were completely closed. This is when we began to live stream Mass on a Sunday, using a tripod and iPad positioned at the front of the church. A strange experience for the priest but a way of helping parishioners to “attend” Mass and have some sense of belonging.

There were some periods when a limited number of parishioners could enter the church for private prayer and later for Mass. The consequence was that benches had to be cordoned off every two and people sit 2 metres apart. One had to phone in and make a booking and names and addresses were recorded by Welcomers.

Of course it was impossible to receive the Precious Blood from the chalice and the usual free choice to receive the sacred Host either in the mouth or hand could only be in the latter.  One of the strangest and perhaps unwelcome demands was the wearing of face masks, at one time whenever one went outside anywhere. It was so at Mass, on entering the church, and for the priest and altar servers, and everyone had to use some sanitiser gel.

Thankfully after about 2 years there was the gradual improvement. Although in some churches there is now distribution of the chalice some parishes have not restored it and some, including concelebrating priests, receive by intinction.

It was a bewildering, frightening, sad time when people lost loved ones, sick and dying alone. One positive result was the “looking out” for one’s neighbour, checking on the elderly. 

After Jerusalem,Compostella,Rome, the Shrine of Our Lady in Walsingham was the most popular shrine in medieval England. There were pilgrim routes ” ways” from all over our nation dotted by roadside shrines and crosses. From the north of England pilgrims would journey through Lincolnshire, over the Wash by Long Sutton, passing the priories of Fletcham, Rudham, Cokesford; from the continent would disembark at Kings Lynn [known then as Bishops Lynn].

In the year 1061, when St Edward the Confessor was king, the local lady of the manor of Walsingham, Richeldis, had a dream three times of Our Lady ,who took her to the holy house at Nazareth and requested that a replica be built in the village. The shrine was to celebrate the Annunciation, the root of man’s redemption, and Our Lady promised “ whoever seeks my help here will not go away empty handed”. (There is the legend that Richeldis struggled to get right the proper size of the holy house and that angels came during the night and built it).

Geoffrey, Richeldis son, built a great priory for the holy house and in mid12thC the Augustinian canons began to look after it.

From then on thousands came on pilgrimage, one commentary compared them to the “football fans of their day”. It is said that there were over 16 hostelries in the village.

All the kings and queens of England, David of Scotland, came to pay homage.

Richard II gave England to Our Lady as her dowry. In 1511 King Henry Vlll walked barefoot, leaving money for a candle to be burned perpetually and for Masses to be said- the amount £1-3-4d would be over £800 now.

Cardinal Wolsey visited in 1517 when he was suffering from “the sweat”- a disease of tremendous perspiration causing great weakness.

What we know as the Slipper Chapel was originally dedicated  to St Catherine of Alexandria,patron  saint of pilgrims, and shoes were left there so pilgrims could walk barefoot to the Shrine.

After his breakaway from communion with the Pope, Henry turned to the closing of the monasteries and abbeys and the stealing of their sacred vessels for Mass and the treasures given by pilgrims.

 Prior Richard Vowell, subprior Edmund Warham and the whole  Community made their act of obedience and surrender, “we hold as confirmed and ratified and will always and for ever hold that Henry our king is the Head of the Anglican Church”; the priory was suppressed in 1534.   Gone was the singing and the chanting of the monks-

Walsingham was no more!

The original statue of Our Lady, made of wood, had stood in the holy house, was taken to Lambeth Palace in London and with others burned in Chelsea in July 1538 and the Holy House destroyed.

All that is left is the 70’ high east gable end of the priory church and a small stone marking where the shrine had stood.

What was the Slipper Chapel became used as a byre by a local farmer. But a lady called Charlotte Pearson Boyd used to see Catholics creeping in to pray.

She purchased the building  in the 1890s, same years she became a Catholic and began restoring. In 1897 Pope Leo Xlll donated a statue of Our Lady and Child to the catholic parish in Kings Lynn and on 20th August a first pilgrimage was made there.

Leo also became patron of the Guild of Our Lady of Ramsom and he urged catholics to “ransom” their country by their prayers and bring it back to the security of the catholic faith. In 1933 a new statue was created modelled on the seal of the medieval priory and Bishop Youens  of Northampton celebrated in open ground at the Chapel the 1st Mass in centuries. In 1934, 400 years since the destruction of the shrine, Walsingham was named our National Shrine and Cardinal Bourne led the 1st national pilgrimage.

Catholic Walsingham was back!

The statue from the Slipper Chapel was taken in 1982 to Wembley stadium where it was placed on the altar as St John Paul II celebrated Mass.

[Collect for the feast of Our Lady of Ransom- Lord, we have long been the dowry of Mary and subjects of Peter, prince of the apostles. Let us hold to the Catholic faith and remain devoted to the Blessed Virgin and obedient to Peter.] 

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Cath Welch, Marc Besford, Janet Williams 

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Front row

Helen Fisher, Laura Bowman, Leon Robinson, Callum Walker, Sam Chell, Amber Plummer, Elliott Robinson, Jessica Besford, ? Buchanan

2nd row

Fr Lee, Louis Kelly, Ben Sinclair, Jonathan Tait, Cardinal Nichols, Helena Bowman, John McGarrity, ?.

Back row

Josh Kelly, Matthew Brannen, David Aaron, Marc Besford, Eddie Donnelly, Fr Butters 

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Our altar servers at evening visit to Our Lady's statue. 

Left to right: 

Marc Besford, Olivia Allison, Callum Walker, Ben Sinclair, Fr Butters, Thomas Nimmo, Christopher Allison and Caitlin Allison.

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Over several years usually on a fine June evening quite a number of parishioners gathered outside the Golden Lion in Osmotherly and then proceeded out of the village eventually turning left up the trail to the Lady Chapel. Along the path we kept the Way of the Cross. At each of the 14 wooden crosses in the grass verge old and young took turns in the prayers at that Station.

Meanwhile Peter and Caroline were valiantly preparing a BBQ - lots of beef burgers, hot dogs, salad, onions etc.

An enjoyable evening every time.