Gospel in Art: Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham

Banner for St Bede Catholic Church, Williamsburg, Diocese of Richmond, USA.

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 24 September 2025
Luke 1:26-38

At that time: The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, 'Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!' But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.'

And Mary said to the angel, 'How will this be, since I am a virgin?' And the angel answered her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy - the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.' And Mary said, 'Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.' And the angel departed from her.

Reflection on the Processional Banner

The Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham honours one of England's most cherished Marian shrines, found in Walsingham, Norfolk. Its origins go back to 1061, when Richeldis de Faverches, the noblewoman of the manor, received three visions of the Virgin Mary. In these visions, Mary showed her the house of the Annunciation in Nazareth and asked her to build a replica in Walsingham, so that it might become a place of pilgrimage and prayer. According to tradition, Mary promised, "Whoever seeks my help there will not go away empty-handed."

Walsingham quickly grew into one of the greatest pilgrimage destinations of medieval Europe, earning the title "England's Nazareth." Kings and commoners alike walked the holy mile barefoot to pray at the shrine. However, like so many other sacred sites, it was destroyed during the Reformation under Henry VIII and the dissolution of the monasteries. For centuries the shrine lay in ruins, but devotion to Our Lady of Walsingham never fully disappeared. In the 19th and 20th centuries it was revived with new vigour, and today pilgrims once again flock to Walsingham from across the world.

At Marian shrines such as Walsingham, Lourdes, and Fatima, processions form a central part of devotion, especially candlelit or rosary processions that bring the pilgrims together in a visible act of love for Our Lady. These processions often feature processional banners, richly embroidered with images of Our Lady, saints, or biblical scenes. Such banners are beautiful and display literally a "pilgrim church on the move,". These processions and they banners also remind participants that faith is not only private but also something witnessed publicly in prayer, song, and solidarity. The tradition of processional banners goes back to the ancient times, developing initially out of Roman military standards and civic insignia that were adapted for Christian worship. By the 12th and 13th centuries, banners were a common feature in liturgical and Marian processions, used to identify guilds, confraternities, and parishes.

The banners themselves are often treasured parish possessions, carried with reverence generation after generation. Our artwork shows such a detailed embroidered banner depicting Our Lady of Walsingham and coat of arms for the Diocese of Richmond, USA. It is now kept in a parish church, treasured and taken out on special days to shows this visual display of faith.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/luke-1-26-38-2025-2/