Walk to Walsingham for the conversion of England 24 - 26 August

"When England returns to Walsingham Our Lady will return to England" ~ Pope Leo XIII

You are invited to the third Latin Mass Society walking pilgrimage for the conversion of England. We will be walking from Ely to Walsingham from 24 to 26 August 2012. This is a bank-holiday weekend. Pilgrims will meet by 7pm on the evening of Thursday 23 August at the Guide Hall, St. Johns Road, Ely, CB6 3BW. The pilgrimage will begin with the Traditional Mass in St Ethelreda's Catholic Church 19 Egremont Street, Ely, CB6 1AE on Friday morning (Mass at 6.15am).

There will be a sung Traditional Latin Mass each day and Confession will be available throughout the pilgrimage.

Mass on the second day will be in the private chapel at Oxburgh Hall. This is a c15th moated manor house which is still the home of the Bedingfield family who built it nearly six hundred years ago. Oxburgh Hall was a recusant house in penal times and has a priest hole.

During the pilgrimage there will be recitation of the Rosary, the singing of traditional hymns, periods of silence and quiet reflection, and the chance to chat with other pilgrims and to renew friendships, or extablish new ones.

Accommodation en route

This pilgrimage is open to all ages and to families.

We want to encourage as many families to attend this pilgrimage as possible. For that reason we have secured indoor accommodation for each night. The indoor accommodation is for use by women and children. Women and children are also free to camp if they wish. Camping is compulsory for men, although this will be indoors on the Thursday night. Please note that children under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.

Daily Mass open to everyone - not just pilgrims

If, for any reason, you are unable to take part in the pilgrimage itself, you are more than welcome to attend any or all of the Masses along the way. The details are as follows:

Friday, 24 August: St Etheldreda’s Catholic Church, 19 Egremont Street, Ely, CB6 1AE 6.15am

Saturday, 25 August: Oxburgh Hall, Oxborough, near Swaffham, Norfolk PE33 9PS 8am

Sunday, 26 August: Chapel of Reconciliation, Catholic National Shrine, Walsingham, 2pm  

The Final Day of the Pilgrimage

The pilgrimage will conclude on Sunday afternoon starting at 2pm at the National Shrine in Walsingham (in the Chapel of Reconciliation next to the Slipper Chapel). Pilgrims will have the chance to visit the Slipper Chapel as well. This will be followed by a procession along the Holy Mile from the Slipper Chapel to the ruins of the Abbey in the centre of Walsingham itself. The Abbey grounds have been booked from 4pm and there will be prayers of thanksgiving offered there. The gate to the grounds closes at 5pm, so pilgrims will have the chance to spend some time there, after the conclusion of the pilgrimage.

The Slipper Chapel is so called because pilgrims would traditionally leave their shoes there before walking the Holy Mile to the Holy House of Walsingham, where in the eleventh century Our Lady appeared in a dream to the Lady Richeldis de Faverches and asked her to build a house like the Holy House of Nazareth. The house contained a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary with the child Jesus seated on her lap. A priory was later built beside the Holy House. During the reign of King Henry VIII the priory was closed as part of the Dissolution of the Monasteries and the statue was taken to London and burnt.

There will also be a Traditional Mass in the Slipper Chapel in Walsingham at 10am on the Monday morning. Some pilgrims will be staying in Walsingham overnight. If you wish to do so you must make your own arrangements. The Catholics Pilgrims Bureau is situated close to the conclusion of the pilgrimage and is very reasonably priced, but there are plenty of other options in Walsingham too. http://www.walsingham.org.uk/romancatholic/tariff/

Coach from London on the Sunday

For those wishing just to attend the final Mass in Walsingham, there is a coach leaving London on Sunday, 26 August for the final Mass at Walsingham. If you wish to book a place, please phone the LMS office (020 7404 7284).

Can You Lend a Hand? Volunteers Needed!

As the pilgrimage grows from year to year, we need more volunteers to help things run smoothly. We especially need people to help drive support vehicles. All your expenses (petrol etc) will be covered and you will be offered a reduced rate to attend the pilgrimage. We also need people willing to help with stewarding and others to help with the preparation of food. Phone the LMS office on 020 7404 7284 or email us on info@lms.org.uk if you can help. Thank you.

Getting to and from the pilgrimage

The Guide Hall in Ely is a short walk from Ely train station. At the conclusion of the pilgrimage we can take you back to Ely. Please note that the pilgrimage will end at c.5pm on Sunday and it takes approximately an hour and a half to get from Walsingham to Ely.

At the conclusion of the pilgrimage, whether you leave on Sunday at about 5pm or on Monday at about 11am, we can take you back to Ely train station.

Should you have any queries about driving to the pilgrimage please contact the LMS office on 020
7404 7284 or email us on info@lms.org.uk

What you need to bring

All your meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and water are provided from Thursday evening until the conclusion of the pilgrimage on Sunday afternoon. You may wish to bring some extra food for the road.

The support vehicles will also take all of our main luggage throughout the pilgrimage. Pilgrims are advised to bring a small day-pack for each day to carry their food, water-proofs and other essentials.

Pilgrims are advised to bring

- big bag

- day bag

- a tent (for those camping outdoors)

- a torch

- sleeping bag

- sleeping mat

- towel

- toiletries

- good shoes for walking in

- bowl, cup, plate and cutlery

- hat

Prices and How to Apply

See the LMS website for full details and to book: http://lms.org.uk/news-and-events/2012-walsingham-walking-pilgrimage

Prices are as follows:

Adult non-LMS members: £65 (see note below)

Adult LMS members: £55

Under 18s* and students: £35

*Accompanied by an adult - for legal reasons no unaccompanied minors are permitted on the pilgrimage.

To avoid any confusion at a later date, when applying please make sure that you first read the FAQs and Disclaimer below.

If you would like to advertise the pilgrimage in your parish or amongst your friends the LMS office are happy to send you flyers: 020 7404 7284, info@lms.org.uk