European shrine directors to meet in Walsingham

Walsingham

Shrine directors from Germany, Slovenia, Romania, England, Poland, France, Ireland and Portugal and other countries, are meeting together from 27-30 September at Walsingham in Norfolk. The theme of the gathering is 'Evangelisation and gestures of popular piety'. This year the Shrine is celebrating its 950th anniversary and has had one of its busiest pilgrimage seasons ever, having received approximately 100,000 pilgrims. The number of pilgrims to Walsingham has risen the past three years running.

Walsingham’s Catholic Shrine Director Fr Alan Williams said: “We are aware that many people visit Catholic shrines who are either not Christian or rarely attend church. They have an interest in spirituality and are willing to travel as part of that search. Our task, as Shrine Directors, is to make that experience as fulfilling and rewarding as we can and that’s what we’ll be discussing this week, as well as sharing news and information.”

Walsingham is home to both a Catholic and an Anglican shrine. During the conference, Anglican shrine adminstrator Bishop Lindsay Urwin, will be attending and all delegates will pray Evensong at the Anglican Cathedral in Norwich.

The gathering will be chaired by Bishop Jacques Perrier, Bishop of Lourdes, which receives millions of pilgrims each year. Archbishop Kevin McDonald will be representing the Bishops of England and Wales.

Fr Williams said: “England hosts this gathering once every twenty years and to receive our distinguished guests, at what’s described as England’s Nazareth, is a fitting way to end our 950th anniversary year.”

For more information on Walsingham see: www.walsingham.org.uk