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Our Lady's Mirror
Autumn 1956
Procession going to the
parish mass,
October 14th
Following upon almost continuous spells of rain the last week of the Jubilee of the restoration
of the Holy House proved once again to have “Our Lady’s weather” – being warm and sunny.
The new Souvenir Shop has proved an enormous success, and Mrs Ferrier is to be congratulated on her
display of goods which have been in great demand. Among other new things we hope to have copies of
the Pilgrim’s Manual bound in blue or red linen, and price 7/6, which we anticipate many will appreciate.
New cards in time for Christmas, and a very good set of the processions on October 13-15th have been
taken by Mr Kenneth Faircloth, and are to be had now.
Great pleasure was expressed at Mr Andrew Martin’s coming all the way from Devonshire in order to help
us at the Jubilee and to act again as Beadle. All our friends were most kind and helpful.
The extension to the Hospice is now in use and proves to be a most valuable addition; while the
gatehouse which connects this extension with the Hospice is fast nearing completion. Here there will be a
new lounge as well as a smoking room for men.
The Convent, as everyone knows, is now occupied by the Sisters, and the chapel we hope will be finished
by January, but a number of things are required to furnish it; stalls for instance, sanctuary and predella
carpets, communion benches, hanging candelabra, etc.
Quite a number of private pilgrims from the U.S.A. have been to the Shrine bringing heartwarming
messages from friends of Walsingham in “the new world”.
There are still two rooms vacant in the little home for retired priests here, and we hope these may be
occupied soon and so make the running of the North Wing easier.
The repairs at S. Mary’s (Parish Church) have had to stop for lack of money, and the Nave and Chanel as
well as Guilds’ Chapel, stonework, etc., still remain to be done. There is to be a Christmas sale in aid of
this great need.
The pilgrimage season is now over for 1956, and we are hoping to be able to concentrate on these
parishes again. The parishioners are very good, indeed they mostly help with the pilgrims in one way or
another, but they do not get as much attention as they should during the summer months.
A kind friend when told that some day there may be a memorial put up to the Administrator, without
hesitation said: “Oh I would gladly contribute to that”. Many thanks! It reminds one of the old chestnut:
when two friends were conversing the first said: “I live by the canal, when you pass, drop in”, to which
the other replied: “I live by the cemetery, when you pass, drop dead”.
One of our regular pilgrims, attending the reception in London in September, was standing outside the
entrance to Caxton Hall when the Administrator and Acting Bursar arrived in a taxi. She noticed on the
number place the letters O L W.
WALSINGHAM JUBILEE
The celebrations commenced with a solemn Mass sung in S. Magnus the Martyr by that constant friend
and supporter of the Shrine from the first years of its revival in Walsingham, Father Fynes-Clinton. In the
evening of that day, September 20th, a reception was held in the large chamber of Caxton Hall, when
between three and four hundred guests assembled. It was a most happy and informal gathering, and the
occasion of meeting many old friends.
During the evening the Master of the College of Guardians said a few words about the revival of the
devotion and the gradual development of the Shrine itself, concluding by giving a sketch of the proposed
programme for the final days of the Jubilee.
Later in the evening Sir William Milner, the restorer of the site to Our Lady upon which the original Holy
House is believed to have stood, after giving his impression of work at Walsingham, presented Father
Lingwood with a cheque for about £360 and a copy of the Van Eyck triptych of the Adoration of the
Lamb. Father Lingwood, as readers know so well, became Pilgrimage Secretary before he was ordained,
and after he returned to Walsingham as Secretary and Bursar, and later on became Assistant Priest. Mr
Patrick Maitland, MP, made a strong appeal for prayers, asking those present, and through them, all the
friends of Walsingham to send him a card, addressed to himself at the House of Commons, saying that
the writer will pray daily for priests (and we would add laymen) for the College at the Shrine, which is at
present the very great need. We too would add to his petition by issuing an urgent S.O.S. to this, for
indeed men are urgently needed humanly speaking to save our Shrine.
A series of pilgrimages large and small have visited the Sanctuary in connection with this twenty-fifth
anniversary since September 20th. On October 8th close on sixty priests made a pilgrimage until the
10th, during which, besides their own Masses in the Pilgrimage Church, High Mass was sung and served
by members of this pilgrimage. Wednesday, October 10th, High Mass of Requiem was offered for the
souls of all departed pilgrims since the restoration of the Holy House in 1931.
In real late summer weather the concluding pilgrimages of the Jubilee came to an end, when large
numbers arrived at the Sanctuary on Saturday, the 13th October - the feast of St Edward the Confessor -
some of whom had visited the King's Shrine in Westminster Abbey that morning, while Mass in his
honour was sung in Walsingham at his altar. The Pilgrimage Church was beautifully decorated with
numerous flowers, the Holy House by our Sister Sacristan and the rest of the building by Father Smith of
South Creake, who has such a reputation as a florist; his church at South Creake always being so
beautifully arrayed. The choir was illuminated by a number of coloured lights above the stalls and on the
screen at the East end, while at night the west front and campanile were very effectively floodlit.
Solemn Vespers was sung at 8.15 that evening, when Father Fynes-Clinton spoke to the assembled
pilgrims, most of whom had to sit at his feet (as we always do) and all over the nave floor. The
procession was unable to use the garden owing to the large marquee covering the pathway, so it made
the circuit of the Shrine precincts, through the Common Place down Bridewell, Guild and Knight Streets,
returning for Solemn Benediction.
Sunday dawned a bright crisp day. After the various low Masses the way of the Cross was followed, and
at 10.30 a procession was formed at the Shrine, and singing a variety of popular hymns it wended its
way to S. Mary's, when at the top of the steps leading into the yard it was met by the Vicar of the parish
and his attendant ministers and servers, and entered the glorious old perpendicular church which was
crowded to overflowing, where they assisted at the parish Mass of Trinity XX, and listened to an oration
by Fr Colin Gill. After lunch the pilgrims queued up for the customary sprinkling while others commenced
to offer the intercessions in the Holy House. At 4.30 the departing pilgrims attended Solemn Benediction,
during which a few sick were blessed. Shortly after other groups of pilgrims began to arrive, and at 6.30,
while Evensong was being said at St Peter's, one of the three parish churches in the cure, Vespers were
again sung solemnly with attendant Deacon and Sub-Deacon when Fr Harding, vicar of St Alban's,
Birmingham, was the preacher.
At 9 o'clock the palmers (although that is the wrong word, being used properly for those visiting
Compostella), manfully set forth in the dark carrying their lights and slowly wended their way through
the High Street, all reciting the Rosary. A station was made in the Parish Church, which was most
beautiful in its lighting and decoration, where the metrical litany of Our Lady was most enthusiastically
sung by the assembled crowd, concluding with a Solemn Magnificat and the general thanksgiving said for
the favours and graces granted by God through the intercession of O.L.W. The route back to the Shrine
was by way of the "sunk road". This act of devotion ended with the singing of the Salve in the Pilgrimage
Church.
A pilgrimage is not meant to be an easy act of devotion; properly kept it makes great demands on the
body and soul and is, of course, even when its primary intention may be one of thanksgiving, always
part penitential not only in the use of Sacramental Confession, an inseparable part of all catholic
pilgrimages, but also in various other penitential acts; the making of the Stations of the Cross, for
example, which obviously comes to mind. So it was not surprising that those who had gathered at
Walsingham on this auspicious occasion were in church again in their numbers to assist at the offering of
the Holy Sacrifice at midnight, and some remained there all the night, while others in groups came to
keep watch before the Most Holy. Throughout the night Mass was celebrated in the Holy House by a
series of priests. The watch was closed by Solemn Benediction at 8.30 a.m.
During the morning (of Monday) others trod the hallowed precincts from far and near. Again the singing
of the Mater Dolorosa was heard while groups wended their way along the way of sorrows, while others
drank and were sprinkled with the water from Our Lady's Well. The bells pealed out at periods before the
midday Angelus to call all to assist at the High Mass sung by Bishop Vernon, a Fellow of the College of
the Guardians of the Holy House. After this time seemed to fly, and before it was realised the Guardians
again occupied their stalls in their mantles of blue velvet and scarlet to listen to the wonderful oration
delivered by the Lord Abbot of Nashdom, O.S.B., who emphasised so strongly the need there is for
greater charity among Christians, and prayer for unity so that in God's time, through the powerful
intercession of Our Lady and our loyal co-operation, the prayer of Our Lord may be accomplished. May
God grant it. [The sermon is printed out in full in the Mirror after this report.]
Finally the Administrator of the Shrine, who is also Master of the College of Guardians, presiding, the last
Jubilee procession wound through the village streets circling the precincts and then all standing before
the High Altar as with one voice the assembled pilgrims and villagers sang a solemn Te Deum in
thanksgiving to God and Our Blessed Lady through whom we had offered our prayers. Then he blessed
us all and with joy in our hearts and renewed intention for the future we wended our way homewards.
NOTICE
At the request of a number of pilgrims, it is proposed to extend the Jubilee year to include Whit Monday
and make that the closing day, thus enabling many who were unable, for various reasons, to be present
in October last to have a share in this great act of thanksgiving – so book now for next Whit Monday!
articles: Abbot of Nashdom's sermon on 15 October 1956; Fr John Oldland, 'A Portuguese Pilgrimage';
Fr S John Forrest's sermon on 6 July 1956; 1838 Christmas poem by Robert Hawker; 'Universities'
Mission to Central Africa'; 'Your votive lights'
photographs: eight photographs of the Jubilee [one above]; two photographs of Fatima Basilica; Our
Lady in Africa statue; High Mass at the UMCA