2009 National Day of Pilgrimage: The Shrine

Outside of the Shrine Church.

The main altar inside.

Another shot of the main altar.

A bishop's tomb.  I'm guessing not a low-churchman either.

As soon as you open the main doors, this altar greets you.

The Holy House inside the Shrine Church.  This is the actual shrine to OLW.

One of many beautiful side chapels inside the Shrine Church.

In all, I would have to say that I was most impressed with the Shrine Church and the surrounding grounds.  Everything was up-to-date and well maintained.  You certainly could tell that many faithful patrons support the Shrine and devotion to OLW.  

My recommendation would be to go without all the pomp and ceremony of the National Pilgrimage.  It was crazy, but you certainly got to see a lot of high church spikery at its finest.

2009 National Day of Pilgrimage: The Mass

The mass took place on the ancient grounds of the priory at Walsingham.  These grounds, so I am told, are only opened up for this grand occasion.

Everything was done with proper care to churchmanship, sometimes a tad over the top in places.  The weather was exceedingly agreeable and we had a nice spot over on the lawn and there we sat with our children.

My only complaint was that when I took my daughter up to receive Communion at one of the many stations, she put her hand out only to be denied the Body of Our Lord by the priest!  Instead, she received a blessing and then she promptly started crying loudly, "my bread!  I want my bread!"  I encouraged to cry even louder as I was terribly distraught over the out-dated eucharistic theology of this priest.

2009 National Day of Pilgrimage: The Processions

Yesterday, we made the journey down from Mirfield to England's Nazareth, Walsingham. We chartered a private bus along with seminarians from the College of the Resurrection and few monks from the Community of the Resurrection.  

Walsingham is an adorable, quaint English village complete with pubs, bookshops, and plenty of images of Our Lady.  The Shrine and surrounding grounds have recently undergone reconstruction and everything looked brilliant.

The day begins with a procession of the clergy and the actual shrine of OLW from the Shrine Church to the ancient Walsingham priory ruins where the principal mass is to be celebrated.  Along the route stands the protesters, and I'll let their placards speak for themselves.  There, the protesters yelled at us claiming that we worship Mary and that we are idolaters.  They handed out pamphlets trying to save our souls, etc.  I'm reminded what my Systematic Theology Professor says, "if your theology of Mary is off, then you've sure to get your Christology wrong too."