1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933
1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941
1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
Our Lady's Mirror
Winter 1950
St Anne’s Church,
Whitstone, Cornwall
All good wishes to our readers for 1950 from the Editor and his staff. This is the Jubilee Year of
the Society of Our Lady of Walsingham, which was founded in August 1925. A quarter of a century is a
very short time really, but it seems a life time to some of us.
It is proposed to have a pilgrimage for all members of the Society in August this year, which we think is
a good way of celebrating such an important event in the history of our Society. As we have now well
over a thousand members, it would be a great help if all those who hope to come would send a post
card as soon as possible to the Pilgrimage Secretary so that we can gauge the numbers likely to attend
and make arrangements accordingly, on a large or small scale. We hope everyone will try and come and
every Cell, at the very least, send representatives.
We are all conversant with the flags carried by Scouts and other organisations: they are usually in
bunting, we believe; abroad they are very gorgeous in silk or rayon, and quite large. Wouldn’t it be a
great idea if every Cell had its own flag? It could hang or stand in the chapel where they meet, and
could always be brought when the representative visits Walsingham and put up during the visit in the
Shrine Church and carried in procession. It should consist of the combined arms of the Saint to whom
the Cell is dedicated and those of Walsingham with the name of the Cell. What do Secretaries and
Superiors think about this?
We are trying to clean up the Pilgrimage Church. This has not been painted or colour-washed since it
was built. First, owing to the war, and since, the expense; but it cannot be let go any longer. A visitor to
the Shrine is reported to have remarked that the Church and gardens are “dirty, untidy and neglected”;
we are grateful for the criticism as it has made us realise how we look to others!
Once again we ask our readers if they have any old copies of the Mirror to spare. Better still, full sets,
as we are trying to get some for binding? One set has been put together and makes a fine volume
covering a period of twenty-three years! Some volumes are necessary for our records, but unfortunately
a large number of back Mirrors were destroyed by accident some years ago together with a batch of
Credo. Does anyone remember that little publication, the parent of the Fiery Cross?
Four of the stalls designed by Messrs. Milner and Craze and executed by Mr Robinson have been put up
on the Epistle side, and they really are very nice and a great improvement to the Choir, only, of course,
it makes one realise how badly the remaining sixteen are needed, and how lopsided it looks without
them. They are provided with tip-up, or Miserere, seats, which are not as easy to use when wearing
Cappas as one would imagine. It would be interesting to know how long it took our ancient Cathedral
and other Chapters to get used to using Misereres, especially when all were vested in copes, as was
very usual.
Some years ago we had an organisation of Chaplains, consisting of priests who came and stopped for a
week, or the inside of a week. This proved a great boon and help as we were so understaffed, some of
them however complained that they did not have enough to do; the reason for this was that as most
combined their Chaplain week with a much needed holiday the Administrator was loath to burden them
over much, and was gratified for their daily Mass. However, he made suggestions as to how they could
do more, setting out in these pages a programme for the week, which was greeted with cries of horror
and the information that they came for a rest!
So now once again the need for Chaplains having arisen, he ventures to invite the priests to come for a
week, if possible, including a Sunday, to help at the Shrine and elsewhere in the Parish if needed;
Chaplains would be asked to say Mass daily; to be in attendance in the Shrine either in the mornings or
in the afternoon (by arrangement) to explain things to visitors and to help with the sick and infirm
coming to be sprinkled at the Holy Well. If those who care to do this would write to the Administrator at
once, giving alternative dates, he would endeavour to make out a rota: it would be wonderful if we
could have a Chaplain for each of the fifty-two weeks of the year.
The heading of the Mirror has been used since we first produced this quarterly, and the design drawn by
Miss Lily Dagless is a record of the days when the Shrine was in S. Mary’s and portrays the union of the
three Parishes, Our Lady Spouse of the Holy Ghost for S. Mary’s, Little Walsingham; S. Peter’s, Great
Walsingham and S. Giles, Houghton in the Dale. Now, of course, the Shrine is in its own Church and
separate from the Parishes, but we think all our readers like the old design, a kind of sentiment. If,
however, a new one is wanted, what about sending designs the same size and shape?
The Editor still asks for MSS.
Some of the Orthodox follow the Julian or old calendar, others the Gregorian in common with the west.
The Serbians keep the old style, so that we have had two Christmases in Walsingham. On Saturday,
January 7th, the Orthodox feast of the Nativity, Bishop Irenei, of Dalmatia, sang the Liturgy in their
chapel at the Shrine, assisted by Dr. Najdanovic, Bro. George and others. After the Liturgy there was a
Christmas dinner and party.
articles: 'Little Gidding'; 'Holy Year 1950'; 'The Heart Shrine of Leybourne Church, Kent'; 'Our Lady of
Knock'; Peter Fitzjohn, 'St Godric of Finchale'; 'Mama jetu wa Africa - a few facts about devotion to Mary
on the East African Coast', by a missionary
photographs: St Anne's Church, Whitstone, Cornwall [above], the patronage of which was bequeathed
to the Shrine by Fr Kingdon; part of a painting of St Charles, KM, in Canterbury Cathedral; two
photographs of St Peter's, Rome