Our Lady of Walsingham
Catholic Primary School
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Our Lady of Walsingham Catholic Primary School |
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A Catholic School |
Our Lady of Walsingham
| Our Lady of Walsingham
is a title used for Mary, the mother of Jesus. The title derives from
belief that Mary appeared in a vision to Richeldis de Faverches, a devout
Saxon noblewoman, in 1061 in the village of Walsingham in Norfolk,
England.
In passing on his guardianship of the Holy House, Richeldis's son Geoffrey left instructions for the building of a priory in Walsingham. The priory passed into the care of Canons Regular sometime between 1146 and 1174. It is said that in the 11th Century the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to the Lady Richeldis who lived in the Manor of Walsingham which belonged to the King and Saint, Edward the Confessor. Richeldis was commanded to build a replica of the Holy House at Nazareth in honour of the mystery of the Incarnation. When she asked where the house was to be built, a spring of water appeared at her feet, a spring which was found to have wonderful healing powers. Walsingam quickly became known as England's Nazareth and attracted pilgrims of every station and status from all over Europe. Pilgrims flocked to Walsingham throughout the Middle Ages, but the Sanctuary, together with the image of Our Lady was destroyed in 1538, on Henry VIII's orders, prior to the suppression of the monasteries. Although there was little left of the shrine, devotion to Our Lady continued at Walsingham until 1922, when Father Hope Patten, newly arrived in the parish, had a reproduction made of the ancient image, copied from the mediaeval seal of the Priory, and set it up in the Parish Church. Immediately, pilgrims began to return to Walsingham, and Fr. Hope Patten quickly realised that it would be necessary to build a new shrine. Once again, as the quest began to determine where the shrine should be built, a new spring of water appeared, and since then many pilgrims have benefitted from the healing power of its waters. |
The Shrine House at Walsingham
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