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Our Lady's Mirror
Winter 1951
Pilgrims arriving, including Fr
Fynes-Clinton, BIshop Irinej and
Archimandrite Nicholas Gibbes
Jubilee Number of the Mirror
This is an extra large Jubilee number. Produced as a souvenir of our twenty-five years of publication. If
you think this copy is worth one shilling or even more, would you send that sum to the Editor, The
Administrator’s Office, Walsingham, and so justify our extravagance in making this number larger. We
trust we give our readers information about the Shrine and its works, and other items of interest, and we
hope to continue to serve them in this and other ways. Thank you for your past encouragement and
support, and accept our hearty good wishes. THE EDITOR
This is the first number of the New Year, and we wish all our readers a happy and peaceful 1951. Let us
pray God grant it. At the same time, this is the jubilee year of the Mirror, which was first published in
January, 1926, so that this copy is the ninetieth number of this little publication, allowing for a few
quarters having been printed together for various unavoidable reasons. It is a happy thought that for
twenty-five years one has been privileged to send this news sheet to our friends and associates. It has
not always had much local information: the Shrine is restored and the devotional exercises have been
established by custom and use, and now life goes on very much in the same way as anywhere else,
subject of course to the peculiarities of one’s life work and surroundings. We have, however, in the course
of these years, included articles on other pilgrim places and matters of interest on other subjects
sometimes rather remote from the purpose of our publication. We are grateful to friends, past and
present, who have contributed to these pages, and on looking over early numbers one is gratified by the
names of those who have written for us. We hope many will send in copy for the Mirror, because as years
go on it does become increasingly difficult to fill our sixteen pages each quarter, and the Editor usually
has to fall back on his own efforts to supply the deficiency. May Our Lady’s Mirror continue and keep
many jubilees and last into many centuries: a “tall order” but a good wish.
The Orthodox Chapel has undergone a thorough cleaning and the roof has been decorated in blue with
gold stars. A round window has been inserted in the south gable of the Church which lightens both the
Chapel and Choir: a great improvement.
It is good news that the second set of stalls, those on the north side of the Choir, have been ordered, and
we hope to have them in place in time for the Convention in June. This leaves twelve more to be
provided to complete the Choir.
It does seem strange that, all this time after the war, we should still be rationed and have even less
meat, among other things, than we were allowed during the war! It all seems very inexplicable, and it
must be just impossible for single people living alone. Our sympathy goes out to all, especially the latter.
The donation of a friend who wishes the work to be done in memory of her brother has enabled us to put
in order the Chapel of S. Augustine. We propose keeping the relics there behind a grill. Pilgrims will
remember that derelict-looking chapel outside S. Augustine’s porch, with its unused and unfurnished
altar, all waiting for an opportunity such as this. It is a great joy to be able to get this in order at last:
materials for frontals, hangings, a mat 6ft. long by 3ft. 6in. wide, in dark colours, a chalice, a missal and
stand, vestments and other suitable furnishings would be gratefully received.
We still want books for our Library: there is, of course, an enormous number of old standard works still
lacking from our shelves, but the greatest need at the moment is for new publications. When you have
read your copies and it is “ten to one” you will never do so again, why not send them to us? Think what a
lot of space you will save in your house in this way and provide room for other new volumes, until they
are read! Perhaps our American friends too will do this. When we get duplicates we pass them on to the
Sisters who are also beginning to build up their Library for their Walsingham House.
articles: 'A Cistercian offering for unity'; Peter Harbottle, 'The Windward Islands'; AHP, 'S Vincent
Ferrer'; 'On Pilgrimage' (translated from the French); Fr Baker, CR, 'Foreign language influences in Africa'
photographs: two photographs of pilgrims arriving, one including Fr Fynes-Clinton, Bishop Irinej and
Archimandrite Nicholas Gibbes [above]; St Hilary's Home; three photographs connected with Mother
Mary Gabriella of Grottaferata; Shrine of S Vincent Ferrer in Vannes Cathedral and the Lady Chapel;
Shrine of Our Lady, St John's, Balham; the Shrine Church in winter