Yesterday, 12 members of the Redbridge and Havering Ordinariate Group went to Walsingham to join the Pilgrimage of Reparation and Consecration organised by the Ordinariate and led by Monsignor Keith Newton. It rained and rained and raine and and when we arrived at Walsingham it was just pouring. We made our way to the Anglican Shrine Café for Coffee and some of us indulged in the wonderful Norfolk Shortbread they sell.
We had arranged to hold Mass at the Barn Chapel as, of course, we were not allowed to receive at the Mass at the RC National Shrine. It had been our intention to eat lunch, after Mass, in the Shrine Grounds and then to walk towards the Slipper Chapel to join the Procession of the Blessed Sacrament.We enjoyed our lunch in the Barn Chapel but then concluded that the Procession of the Blessed Sacrament would be cancelled although we were unable to actually find out any details,We decided to visit the Flower Festival taking place in the village this week-end
The flowers in the Roman Catholic Church, the Methodist Church and the Church of St. Mary were absolutely stunning. We returned to the Abbey Grounds but again were unable to get much information except, as we thought, Benediction had been cancelled. We decided to go to the Shrine Grounds and wait and see what would happen. Eventually the Procession arrived carrying a Statue of Our Lady of Walsingham and then there was a service of Sprinkling in the Shrine Church which we attended.
Although our plans for the day had to be changed with the weather ruining our plans and soaking us all, we had a really enjoyable day..
