2009 National Pilgrimage  Monday, 25th May A report on the 2008 National Pilgrimage appears below. The full text of the Bishop of Plymouth's sermon can be found at the bottom of this page. Click here **** Click here for Useful Information on the National Pilgrimage Monday, 26th May 2008 The day dawned and - to everybody's surprise - it wasn't raining! With some sense of trepidation it was decided to carry on with the outdoor programme and see what happened. In the circumstances it was not surprising that pilgrim numbers were rather down on previous years - but the combination of  the wash-out of 2007 and a remarkably similar weather forecast for 2008 inevitably meant that everyone was a bit cautious. After the usual brief "congo" (a congregational practice of some of the music!) the singers, brass, timps and organ led everybody in the pre-service hymns as the procession left the Shrine Church to make its way to the Abbey grounds. At noon precisely, the image of Our Lady of Walsingham appeared at the top of the path and accompanied by Guardians, Bishops and Priests Associate, she was carried to her usual position beside the altar. The principal celebrant at the Mass was the Rt Revd John Hind, Bishop of Chichester. The Pilgrimage Mass celebrated the theme of ‘Mary for Everyone’ by using the account of the visit of the wise men recorded in Matthew’s Gospel. As Mary holds up her son for the Magi to see, so she shows Jesus to the whole world. Mary is for everyone, because she shows Jesus to everyone. The Gospel Alleluia helped reinforce the theme by combining the music of two well known Epiphany carols and the offertory hymn was "Songs of Thankfulness and Praise." The Guardians, escorting the image of Our Lady wind along the sunken road (above); the head of the procession  - the Beadle and the Maltese lanterns (right) After the break for lunch, the Bishop of Norwich began the afternoon proceedings by commissioning the two Franciscans who have recently joined the team at the Shrine - Brother Paschal and Brother Maximilian. The Master of the Guardians, Canon Martin Warner, took the opportunity to thank both Fr Philips - North and Barnes - for their work at the Shrine and to wish them well in their new posts. Both the Priest Administrator and the Shrine Priest leave us later in the year. A moment of reflection was then introduced by the choir who sang Healey Willan's wonderful anthem The Three Kings  - a setting of words by Laurence Housman.   ‘Who knocks tonight so late?’ The weary porter said. Three Kings stood at the gate, Each with a crown on head   The serving-man bowed down; The inn was full, he knew. Said he ‘In all this town Is no place fit for you!’ A light the manger lit: There lay the Mother meek. Said they ‘This place is fit: Here is the rest we seek!’   They loosed their latchet strings; So stood they all unshod. Come in, come in ye Kings! And kiss the feet of God.   Laurence Housman (1865-1959)   In his sermon which followed, the Bishop of Plymouth, the Rt Revd John Ford reminded us that this was the vocation of the Church –always “to hold up the God-child, to present him, not ourselves to the world…” He recalled the pause of wonder made by the wise men as they stood gazing on the child Mary was showing them, before they fell prostrate before him. This pause of humble wonder, he said, was a response we too should make to Jesus: A response of adoration of the truth he reveals to us; of homage as we show that we belong to him; and of worship as we hold up the God-child in ceaseless celebration. As the procession was marshalled the sun came out briefly. Singing the Pilgrim Hymn and reciting the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary led by Mother Mary Clare from the Priory of Our Lady the procession wound its way across the Stiffkey bridge, on to the sunken road and on past the parish church. Once again we welcomed representatives from the Shrine of Our Lady at Nettuno in southern Italy. Their turquoise robes added a welcome splash of colour on a grey day. When everyone had returned to the Abbey grounds, Benediction was given by The Rt Revd Geoffrey Rowell, Bishop in Europe. As the strains of the final hymn - "Tell Out my Soul" died away, a huge collective sigh of relief could be heard rising from the Abbey grounds - it still wasn't raining!		THE NATIONAL PILGRIMAGE  - HOW IT CAME ABOUT In 1938 the Whitsun weekend saw a huge influx of pilgrims to Walsingham to witness the blessing of the much enlarged Shrine Church.  As had become customary, there was a great procession from the Parish Church to the Shrine . It was estimated that the procession took "one hour less three minutes" to pass the Common Place and that 6,000 pilgrims passed through the Holy House. In the report of the weekend in the 1938 Our Lady's Mirror (the forerunner of the present Walsingham Review) the intention was announced to hold a similar day pilgrimage "as an annual event every Whit Monday." This indeed happened in 1939 and 1940, but then, for the remainder of World War II, the pilgrimage went into abeyance. 1946 saw its highly successful revival - but pouring rain meant the procession had to be cancelled! The Whit Monday great pilgrimage became known as the "National" in 1959 - after one of the guardians, the present Earl of Lauderdale, had written to The Church Times urging people to join the Whit Monday pilgrimage, describing it as "the first National Pilgrimage in the history of the Church of England to the Shrine of the Incarnation at Walsingham." In 1971 the Whit Monday bank holiday was moved to the last Monday in May and the National Pilgrimage moved from Whitsuntide to this date. The only cancellation since 1946 was in 2001 because of the Foot and Mouth epidemic. The Walsingham Archive pages contain fascinating accounts and much more information on the history of the National. Did you know, for example, that there were not enough cows in Walsingham to supply the milk needed for the pilgrims' tea on Whit Monday 1938? Or that 106 pilgrims had breakfast at The Clock Restaurant in Welwyn Garden City on their way to Walsingham and between them, left 4d (four pence) in tips! Go to the Archive home page, enter the Archives and find "Whit Monday Pilgrimages". Since 2004, when the programme of the National Pilgrimage was recast to include a lunch-break, the practice of formal picnicking in The Abbey grounds has grown. Last year, there was a wonderful sense of togetherness as pilgrims from all over the country produced hampers, tables and chairs  - and the Walsingham National Pilgrimage lunch party began! If you are coming to this year's event, do think about bringing a picnic - of course the sun will shine and the grass be dry! The Procession coming up the High Street in 2008 The Guardians of the Nettuno Shrine in 2008
Useful information about the National The weather - (dare one say it) the National is remarkably blessed with good weather. Washouts, fortunately, are very rare. Last year (2006) whilst the rest of Britain had torrential rain, this little bit of north Norfolk remained sunny and dry until the evening (see picture opposite). But do come prepared. STOP PRESS: 2007 saw the worst weather for the National since 1983. You never can tell! The two services (12 noon Mass and 2.30 pm Sermon, Procession and Benediction) take place in the grounds of The Abbey - the gardens of the house which was created from the ruins of the original Walsingham Priory. Pilgrims are welcome to picnic in the gardens during the lunch interval (1.00 pm - 2.30 pm). Since the lunch interval was created in 2004 there has been steady increase in the numbers choosing to bring their own picnic, tables and chairs, often meeting up with friends for an enjoyable meal. (See below for information on obtaining refreshments.) There are car parks for pilgrims (in addition to the permanent one west of the Common Place) in Church Street (by the farm entrance on the sunken road) and in Wells Road (just north of the war memorial). Coaches should approach Walsingham on what is now the B1155 from Fakenham  to Wells-next-the-Sea (the so-called "dry road"). A right-hand turn at Egmere and then travelling a mile along the Egmere Road,  gives easy access to the Coach Park - members of the Shrine National Pilgrimage Stewarding team will be on duty all day at the Coach Park. The main High Street and part of Holt Road will be closed to traffic from approximately 11.00 am until after Benediction. Please follow the alternative directions given by the police to get around the village. Many pilgrims come to Walsingham for the day; others prefer to stay for the weekend. The Shrine accommodation is always fully booked a year in advance - as is that of the RC Pilgrim Bureau - but there are opportunities to rent local cottages for the weekend or the week (school half-term). For further information about Bed and Breakfast establishments and cottage hire contact the local Tourist Board in Walsingham - tel: 01328 820510. The National Pilgrimage Programme & Handbook (cost £3) contains both information and the services for the day. Do make sure you buy one - it all also serves as your admission pass to The Abbey. They are available from various points in the Shrine and at the entrances to The Abbey - both the High Street archway and the drive gates on the sunken road. Entering The Abbey grounds - please use the main Abbey archway in the High Street when entering and leaving the grounds. Use of the small Knight's Gate opposite the Shrine Church is restricted to pass-holders. All Priests Associate of the Holy House are invited to concelebrate the Mass. They should be in the Shrine Church by 11.20 am with an alb and a white stole. (See Membership - Priests Associate for details of becoming a Priest Associate) Seats are not provided for the congregation. Please bring a collapsible chair if you would prefer not to sit on the grass. Bring a rug or ground sheet in case of damp weather if sitting on the grass. There are public lavatories by The Abbey archway and inside the grounds. In the Shrine grounds facilities are available in the refectory/Norton Room. Pilgrims in wheelchairs have a special area reserved for them near the altar. Stewards will give directions. BSL Interpretation - the worship is signed and a special area is reserved near the altar for those who wish to take advantage of this. Stewards will give directions. Changing and feeding facilities for babies are available. Please ask a steward for directions. First Aid - a paramedic and members of the St John's Ambulance Brigade will be on duty. In an emergency please get assistance from one of the Stewards. Refreshments - in case you forget your picnic - are available in the Norton Room (situated below the Pilgrim Refectory in the Shrine Grounds.) After the procession and Benediction, tea will be served in the main refectory. There are also several tea shops in Walsingham High Street, the Walsingham Farms Shop in Guild Street and the Norfolk Riddle Restaurant (plus fish and chip shop) across the road by the war memorial. The Shrine Church will be locked at 11.00 am and will remain locked until after the Mass. It will be locked again between 2.20 pm and the end of Benediction.		Brightly dawns the 2006 National day! - early arrivals await the procession from the Shrine (above) - the organist gets organised (below) The procession to Mass leaving the Shrine Church in 2005 - the Shrine's famous "Maltese" lanterns to the fore (above); the return procession passes the Common Place (below)

Text of the sermon preached by The Rt Revd John Ford, Bishop of Plymouth at the 2008 National Pilgrimage

Saturday nights recently I have had the hymn “Who are these like stars appearing” flashing through my mind.  Not, unless I have missed it that there has been a great list of saints days for the hymn to be sung at the evening office.  No – nothing as appropriate as that – rather as I have sat and watched “Britain’s got talent”!  Who are these … like (supposedly) … stars appearing?  But, just occasionally, and it normally occurs almost as soon as they start their act, a sense of expectation stirs within the audience, a stillness arises … and they wait, sometimes for the end of the act, often for the buzzers of the judges … is this the coming of a star … the audience wait and watch and wonder.  And then the three pundits begin their deliberations, meandering around the potential star eventually arriving at the point of disclosure as to whether this could possibly be the one to receive the prize.  All the time the gaze of the audience is either on the star or on the three wise people who are judging.

But, of course, the central character for us today is not the star but the one to whom the star bears witness.  I suppose the thing about a talent contest is that the star – or rather the putative star – is there advocating itself whereas the star of Bethlehem draws attention to one other than itself.  A bit like the ministry and mission of the church – well, in theory anyway, that our business is, in the words of one document, “nothing else, and nothing less, than the manifestation of God’s plan, its epiphany and realisation in the world and in history.”  The role of the church therefore … our role and that of this Shrine … cannot be limited to the planting or the planning of churches, (to say nothing of the division and destruction of them); the building of empires or the cult of the ghetto or the saving or condemning of souls … rather it has to be the holding up of the God-child before the eyes of the world in a ceaseless celebration of the feast of the epiphany.

The life of God’s holy people is not a question of doing things, organising ourselves, reinventing our structures or having relevant postmodern liturgies or maintaining outmoded ones.  Neither is it to pander to the passing fancies of a particular age, culture or people … the role of the church is not, as it were, to be the star attracting people to itself, teasing them, tantalising them with glittery, twinkling images of glory.  And neither is it to be the high court of judgement pontificating about certainty – almost as if we were one of the judges in a talent show, knowing absolutely the gifts and the graces of others – admitting to glory, or otherwise, by the buzz of our button or the smile on our face.  And we have got plenty of buttons to buzz – and dismiss others, out of hand.  And the intensity, depth and duration of the smile on our face will be dictated by our churchmanship!

No, the role of the church is to hold up the God-child, to present him, not ourselves to the world … our likeness then is to Mary and not the star – to the star of the sea not of the stage – the celebrity in the reality of earthy living not a celestial glittering designed to attract but, ultimately destined to disappoint.  Ignatius of Antioch writes very powerfully about the complete gear change in the way humans can perceive the truth about God that occurs with the star and the revealed truth in Christ.  Writing to the Ephesians he said that from the time of the appearance of the star, “all sorcery and every spell began to lose their power; the ignorance of wickedness began to vanish away; the overthrow of the ancient dominion was being brought to pass, since God was appearing in human form unto newness of life eternal.”  God has appeared and is shown in the babe born of Mary and in the visit of the magi she holds up this revelation before the eyes of the whole world.  And we, her successors in discipleship are called to do the same.

Drawn by the star, by their own discipline and their inner longings, at their journey’s end they enter the most surprising theatre … can you imagine … they must have gasped, wondered, pondered … is this the place?  Consider the pondering, questioning and wondering as they stand on the threshold of this place of revelation, this scene of disclosure, this space of encounter.  They must surely ask: can this possibly be?  I picture them caught in some kind of timeless zone on the doorstep of the stable cave … freeze framed … paused …

Dramatists of all kinds understand the power of the pause.  It is used by composers, directors of film and theatre, authors and comedians alike. In soap operas at the end of each episode – ending on a cliff edge – the authors keeping us on tender-hooks.  The pause in comedy sketch writing is so often the key to the humour – of course the two Ronnies were masters at it.  And the pause of the composer or of the conductor – who holds the orchestra and chorus in the musical rest – precisely in order to communicate the message and illicit a response … creating the drama and atmosphere which leads the listener on … deeper into the message to be communicated by the music …

Being on the edge of your seat is not the most comfortable place to be … but it is a place that brings excitement and expectation … it is something to do with the longing.  Being on the threshold of that stable cave … breathtaking wonder.

Whilst I know that it is contradictory – the longest pause in terms of eternity – the most dramatic wait – the perfect piece of tantalising screen play – is the space between the words of Gabriel and the Yes of Our Lady.  And it is precisely in that space that we discover the fundamental truth of the theme “Mary for everyone”.

It cannot be that Mary’s answer was a foregone conclusion and therefore … the wait, the pause, the rest – was inevitable … for the moment she replied in the affirmative, then God’s eternal invitation to all to be welcomed into his life … that invitation was conceived in her womb … and thus was issued in a word, the Word who invites, openly and honestly, everyone to come.  The invitation is for all … as is the person who delivers it and she is so precisely because she was able to say yes.

The moment between the greeting and the yes – that instant in which the whole of the world holds its breath in expectation … for the Magi on the threshold … for the pilgrim here in the Holy House … that is the space, the rest, the pause, the on the edge of your seat moment … the instant in which falls a profound silence – when we know a star is appearing or has appeared and the only response is to fall down in worship.  To kneel, in Old Testament terms, to take off your shoes for the place is holy ground and then, in that profound silence and with the posture of humility there is, in this wonderful phrase, that silence is the folding of the wings of the intellect and the opening of the door of the heart.  For Mary in the kitchen in Nazareth …what me?  (taking a long breath in) … Yes (hesitantly).  For the magi in the cave … is this it? … well, yes … for here, held up before our eyes is the source, meaning and destiny of all human life.

No wonder then that Matthew uses a particular word to describe this kneeling of the magi before the held up God child – proskynein – literally to fall prostrate before.  It is a verb which refers to a gesture which should be reserved for the expression of submission to and adoration of …

Matthew uses this word 13 times in his gospel and they are at especially significant moments.  However, three of them are in the passage read at Mass today.  Three significant moments each with a lesson for us in our daily living… for this shrine and its witness … and for our church at this time.

The first use – the one to which I have already referred – the magi knelt in adoration.  We don’t kneel much in modern liturgy and no, I am not going to make a plea for extended time literally on our knees at worship – although that would be preferable to the extended crouch into the shampoo position so common nowadays!  However, there is no response more appropriate to the revelation and presence of divine truth. And if it is an appropriate response, it is even more an essential position for a growth in understanding of the God-child and how we ourselves might in some way hold him up today.  It is unpopular in many circles and a casual observer of the C of E today might be forgiven for failing to notice that our faith is a revealed faith, the origin of which is in the very being of God and not in human response defined by our own intelligent discovery and subject therefore to cultural adjustment.  No … the approach to divinely revealed truth is not a move forward in discovery but a falling down in worship … proskynein … on your knees.  And it is there, certainly metaphorically if not literally, that we will grow in our understanding of the God child held up for us by Our Lady who, by her yes, invites a similar response from each and every one of us.

The second example of the use of this powerful word is on the lips of Herod who says that he wants to visit the child … to pay him homage.  Its interesting that the NRSV and JB use this word which has really fallen out of common use – unless that is you are in the habit of visiting, or should I say being received by, the Monarch.  Because homage originally means reverence and submission to a feudal lord, receiving in exchange for obeisance a symbolic title and a new position.  Doing homage was the symbolic acknowledgement to the lord that you were literally “his man” – therefore, by definition, no other’s.  At the centre of our common life we have a divine exchange when we receive not a symbolic title but a new name and a transformed life when each of us is placed in a new position, vis a vis our Lord when this divine exchange is realised around the table of word and sacrament every day.  The time when the church holds up the God child and the invitation to come is issued.  When we leave that assembly we do so to demonstrate the essential life of eternal giving which is both the invitation and the host.

By definition each time this is celebrated this is fresh because here God gives himself; we are re-membered, made different and new.  This truly wonderful exchange is the way we express our belonging … to Him and therefore to no other and, like Our Lady it is him we bear in our bodies to the world … one that is hungry … for meaning and purpose, loyalty and truth … one therefore to be fed by our own self-giving.  We hold up for that world the God child to give him and ourselves away.

And this daily giving away to the world is really an integral part of that worship which is our life.  And this is the third way in which this powerful word is translated.  The magi tell how they are travelling the world in search of the one whom they have come to worship.  We are sent to that world to hold up the God child in one ceaseless celebration of the making plain of the Father’s love … the real star and the absolute talent for whom everyone, I believe, is longing and waiting.  It is our calling to follow the example of Our Lady and for this we constantly need her prayers.

Her life of faithfulness began with a pause.  We should pray for the grace of humble hesitation which acknowledges our creatureliness in the face of the revelation of our creator Lord and in the service of his people.  Both our culture and our church seem to rush like Gadarene swine into things, fast and furious with the misplaced enthusiasm of Peter in his early ministry.  Today in this holy place following the example of our Blessed Mother I pray that our life, our pattern and our proceeding might begin with a breathtaking pause … Yes … I will … I will hold him up because I know that he will never fail to uphold me!