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Our Lady's Mirror
Winter 1944
The chapel of the
Blessed Sacrament
A start has been made in the adaptation of one of the cottages in the precincts, towards providing
accommodation for the College of Priests. For the time being this will be used for various purposes,
including extra accommodation for the Hospice.
We have found the continuation of the foundations of an ancient wall, which runs through the Shrine
gardens and which, we think, is the north wall of the Priory cemetery (vide “Some Recent Discoveries”).
This wall runs as we expected, if our theory holds good, right across the precincts of the proposed College
north of the Holy House. It is quite thrilling tracing these remains.
Mr Cachemaille-Day, the well-known architect, has presented to the Shrine the maniple worn by Fr. Tooth
just before his arrest. This has been in the family some long time, and was given to them by Fr. Tooth.
THE SISTERS
The Community of Our Lady of Walsingham is the name taken by the Sisters here. The Bishop of Norwich
has kindly consented to be their Visitor, and Fr. Raynes, C.R., the Superior of Mirfield, who has been a
Priest Associate for many years, has accepted their invitation to be the Religious Superior. A few
alterations have been made to the interior of the Convent end of the Hospice, and by new partitions, etc.,
nine cells have been formed, while extra accommodation has been made to the Visitors’ part of the house.
We are hoping to have a large number of visitors for Easter, conditions permitting.
THE WALSINGHAM HOME
We have quite come to the conclusion that after the war it will be necessary to build a modern bungalow,
with surrounding grounds. If the war does not take all our big boys, an Hospice will be required for them in
order to make room for younger people to join the family. The two cottages originally acquired to house
the Home are both let, and so form the basis of an endowment, while experience has taught us that they
are by no means ideal for a growing family, being too open to the road and shut in at the back by other
cottages. Offerings to enable us to start our Home Building Fund would be welcome.
NOTICE
Owing to the new regulations Walsingham is again in the banned area, and so pilgrimages from outside
our own district in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex are taboo for the present.
PILGRIMAGES FOR 1944
Everything is being held up by the anticipation of the Second Front, so that although there are enquiries
from those wishing to bring pilgrimages, so far we have only good three definite bookings. Intending
pilgrims might do well to join up with one or other of these:-
The Welsh Pilgrimage, conducted by Father Gillingham. April 17 to 19.
A Fens Pilgrimage, conducted by Father Bales. May 8 to 10.
A Youth Pilgrimage, conducted by Father Roland of S. Leonards-on-Sea. August 21 to 23.
Orthodox Pilgrimage, Whitsun week-end.
N.B. It is now impossible for us to supply bottles for water from the Holy Well, as they are none procurable
here. Will those writing for the Walsingham water kindly send the vessels for it?
It was felt strongly that such a venerable Confraternity as the C.B.S. should also be represented among
the other societies at the Shrine, the centre of large pilgrimages and the constant flow of visitors from all
over the world; and so the chapel above and behind the High Altar was offered as a gift to the
Confraternity, if they cared to furnish it. This proposal was officially accepted.
Through donations given by members of different Wards the walls of the apse have been panelled and
decorated in gold and red, above which runs the inscription: ECCE ANCILLA DOMINI: ECCE AGNUS DEI:
ECCE PANIS ANGELORUM. The dome of the apse is in gold leaf, with a painting in a nimbus of the
Coronation of our Lady and all the Angels and Saints; it is the fifteenth of the Chapels of the Rosary. Round
the front of the dome is a second inscription – MAGNIFICAT ANIMA MEA DOMINUM: ET EXSULTAVIT
SPIRITUS MEUS IN DEO SALUTARI MEO. QUIA RESPEXIT HUMILITATEM ANCILLAE SUAE: ECCE ENIM EX
HOC BEATAM ME DICENT OMNES GENERATIONES. The predalla and altar are made of pale green and
cream marble, with a low gradine in the centre of which rises a handsome marble and mother-of-pearl
Tabernacle, which can be seen from all over the nave of the Church. Before the altar hang three silver-
plated lamps which are kept constantly burning. Besides these gifts and decoration members of the
Confraternity have given a chalice and paten, a ciborium, four sets of Low Mass vestments, with some
altar linen, a Missal and stand. Recently members of the C.B.S. Ward belonging to the Parish Church of
Walsingham have presented a small banner to be used at processions of the Holy Sacrament.
articles: 'A Letter of the Sixteenth Century from Fra Giovanni to the contessina Allagia dela
Aldobrandeschi'; 'Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament' [Walsingham]
photographs: The chapel of the Blessed Sacrament [above]; interior of the pilgrimage church; illustration
of The Magi, one of five panels on the Gallery screen (by Enid Chadwick)