THE P RTAL
April 2017 Page 12
Ecumenical Marian Pilgrimage Trust Biennial Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Walsingham
Ronald Crane at Walsingham
Each year this excellent organisation goes on pilgrimage to a Marian site . Every second year it is a four day residential event at Walsingham ; in other years it is a day pilgrimage to another Marian pilgrimage site .
Supported by The Ecumenical Society of the BVM , The Catholic League , The Fellowship of St Alban and St Sergius and The Society of St John Chrysostom , sixty people gathered in this Norfolk village . All the holy sites at Walsingham are visited , and we began in the Anglican Shrine with a warm welcome from the newly appointed Priest Administrator , Fr Kevin Smith . This was followed by an illustrated talk written by Dr Sarah Jane Boss about Mary and Deification . Dr Boss was poorly and her talk was read by Fr Mark Woodruff .
Later that same day we went to the beautiful Walsingham Methodist Church where the local Methodist congregation together with their Minister , The Revd Jenny Pathmarajah , were on hand to join us for Holy Communion . The Celebrant and Preacher was The Revd Sam Harris of the Church of Scotland . His sermon on “ Mary Welcomes Us ” was as inspirational as it was interesting .
Canon Jeremy Haselock
After supper , Richard Davies ’ illustrated talk on the Wooden Churches of Northern Russia showed us deep faith in the most difficult of circumstances in some of the most challenging areas . Weather and the Soviets have not managed to prise these hardy folk from their lively faith in their Orthodox religion . The first day closed with that most moving of devotion , Sprinkling at the Well .
Abouna Peter Farrington
Each day Catholic Mass and Anglican Eucharist were celebrated , and the disciplines of all the churches present were respected . On the second day we had talks
on Martin Luther , Vladimir Lossky and the centenary of Fatima . The day ended with a wonderful concert of unaccompanied choral music by the Lay Clerks and Choral Scholars of Norwich Cathedral .
Dr Margaret Barker gave two talks about Temple Theology , Canon Jeremy Haselock spoke about the life and theology of Roger Greenacre and Bishop Norman Banks led us in the Mater Dolorosa . Mass was celebrated at the Chapel of the Reconciliation and Prebendary Norman Wallwork told us about Neville Ward . Abouna Peter Farrington spoke about the Marian Hymns of St Severus before Benediction in the Catholic Parish Church of the Annunciation . In the evening of the third day we celebrated the Akathist Hymn , and finally that day , there was a “ Brains Trust ” with Metropolitan Kallistos , Dr Margaret Barker , Bishop Norman Banks , Abouna Peter Farrington and Fr Phillip Swingler making up the panel .
On our final day Metropolitan Kallistos served the Liturgy of the Presanctified at The Church of the Holy Transfiguration at Great Walsingham , and there was still time for us to sing the Ecumenical Office of the BVM before making our way home .
It was a busy week . Much was packed into the four days . One might well ask though , what is the point of bringing such a galaxy of speakers together if we do not use them and hear what they have to say ? We did have free time each afternoon , and we finished by nine o ’ clock each evening . This all worked very well .