Ocean to Ocean - Wales would like an explanation

That's a rather pompous headline, especially as I am not Welsh, merely an Englishman living in Wales, in the Diocese of what used to be called Menapia.

But I feel that Wales has been ignored (yet again) in the planning of an important event in the life of the Church.

The Madonna of Wales, Our Lady of Cardigan

It does not feature at all on the route of the Black Madonna icon on the Ocean to Ocean Pilgrimage.

The few Welsh folk that I have spoken to feel genuinely aggrieved that their country has not been included on the itinerary.

Wales lost out on the occasion of the last Papal visit and on the nationwide (almost) tour of the relics of St Jean Vianney.

Not unreasonable, I think, to ask why?
Especially as the jump from the British mainland to Ireland could so easily have been via Wales.

What has Wales done to be ignored in such a manner?

Wrexham Diocese has a new Bishop and the Archdiocese of Cardiff, Capital of Wales has a relatively new Archbishop in place. So why miss them out?

So, OK, Wales is not big in terms of numbers of Catholics but it probably runs pretty close to Scotland's Catholic population.

Wales is also home to the little known but very important shrine of Our Lady of Cardigan, Our Lady of the Taper, a mere 1,000 years or so old.

It is the national shrine of Wales and the equal of Walsingham. I would not wish to take anything away from England's national shrine but it would be good to see some support for Cardigan coming from the national Catholic associations who organise annual pilgrimages and who have affinity, allegedly, to both Wales and England.

And it would be good for Wales to be highlighted on the maps in the Vatican and Westminster so that, in future, due respect is paid fully to Our Lady and to Welsh Catholics.

Most feared by Satan - The Black Madonna

On 15th June 2012, Poland's Czarna Madonna Icon (Black Madonna)  began its 'Ocean to Ocean' Pro Life Pilgrimage from the Pacific Ocean port of Vladivostok with the final destination being Fatima and the Atlantic Ocean.

En route it will have visited vast swathes of Eastern Europe and many countries.

Here is how the organisers describe the pilgrimage:

On 15 June 2012 an icon of the Mother of God began its pilgrimage from the Pacific Ocean at Vladivostok in Russia to the Atlantic Ocean at Fatima in Portugal. The icon itself is a very beautiful replica of the Icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa. The pilgrimage which has come to be known as Ocean to Ocean is an act of entrustment to Our Blessed Lady of the Civilisation of Life and Love which is now under massive global attack by the Culture of Death.

Ocean to Ocean combines a deeply spiritual pilgrimage with Our Lady with the promotion of the pro-life and pro-family teachings of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches. It has received the blessing of high-ranking priests of the Orthodox Church in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Lithuania and Poland. In the West it has the support of many Catholic Bishops and priests and pro-life and pro-family groups.

At present it is in Britain, Scotland and England only, sadly, it will not visit Wales.

It would have been very fitting if the icon had been taken to the National Shrine of Wales, Our Lady of the Taper in Cardigan, equal to England's Walsingham Shrine to Our Lady.

The great thing is that Satan and his demons have a particular fear of the Black Madonna so we may ask, especially during the course of this visit,  for Our Blessed Mother's protection in the future.

The Pilgrimage website is HERE