Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham

Our Lady of Walsingham is England's national Marian shrine.

According to legend, Our Lady appeared in Walsingham to the Saxon noblewoman Richeldis de Faverches, in 1061.

In three visions, Richeldis was taken by Mary to be shown the house in Nazareth where Gabriel had announced the news of the birth of Jesus. Our Lady then asked her to build an exact replica of that house in Walsingham.

Later, Geoffrey de Faverches, left instructions for the building of a Priory by the Holy House. The Priory passed into the care of Augustinian Canons somewhere between 1146 and 1174.

Throughout the centuries, Walsingham became one of the most popular shrines in England. Many pilgrims returned from their visit healed in body and spirit. Walsingham received visits from King Henry III, Edward II, Edward III, Henry IV, Edward IV, Henry VII and Henry VIII, who finally brought about its destruction in 1538.

Catholic pilgrims were not officially allowed to return to Walsingham until the end of the 19th century,

The National Catholic Shrine is now based in the area around the Slipper Chapel. Built in the mid-14th century, and dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria, this chapel originally served pilgrims on their way to England's Nazareth. Saint Catherine was the patron saint of pilgrims to the Holy Land and her knights kept open the road to Nazareth during the Crusades.

Her tomb lies in the Monastery on Mount Sinai, within the Basilica of the Annunciation. Just as on Mount Sinai, Moses took off his shoes because he was on holy ground, so the pilgrims to England's Holy Land used to remove their shoes and walk the Holy Mile into Walsingham.

After the Reformation, the Chapel was used as a poor house, a forge, a cow shed and a barn. It was restored to the Catholic Church in 1896 by Charlotte Pearson Boyd. In 1897, the first official Catholic pilgrimage after the Reformation took place at the restored Slipper Chapel.

The first Mass since the Reformation was celebrated here in August 1934 and on 8th September 1938 the Shrine was re-consecrated by Bishop Youens of Northampton.

In the 1920s the Anglican shrine began growing in the remains of the original Priory and now has its own church, housing a copy of the original statue of Our Lady of Walsingham and a replica of the Holy House. There is also now a Russian Orthodox chapel in Walsingham. The village is home to many retreat centres and pilgrim hostels and once again attracts many thousands of pilgrims each year.

For more information and pictures visit: www.walsingham.org.uk/shrine-home/

Also St Robert of Knaresborough

Hermit. Born in 1160, in York, the son of an important townsman, Robert became a religious early in life. As a subdeacon he was a novice at the Cistercian abbey of Newminster, but only stayed a few months before choosing to be a solitary.

Robert lived in a cave in Knaresborough, where another hermit was a knight in hiding from Richard I. When the king died, the knight returned to his wife. St Robert stayed on for some time, until a wealthy widow offered him a cell and chapel at Rudfarlington. Unfortunately bandits destroyed his home.

For a few months, Robert lived under the church wall at Spofforth. He then moved in with the monks at Hedley for a time, but found their lives too comfortable and returned to the ruins at Rudfarlington. Here he had four companions and kept livestock, but soon got into trouble with William de Stuteville, the constable of Knaresborough, who accused him of harbouring outlaws. Again his home was destroyed and Robert returned to his cave where he lived for the rest of his life.

St Robert was never officially canonised but a huge cult grew around him after his death on this day in 1218. The site of his chapel where many miracles are said to have occurred, can still be seen, overlooking the River Nidd.

and St Vincent Strambi - See: https://passionist.org/st-vincent-strambi/