Holywell - a step closer to heaven

    The Shrine of St Winefride - Virgin and Martyr

Last Sunday's pilgrimage to the Shrine of St Winefride in North Wales was, as well as being a spiritual journey in the manner of all good pilgrimages, a profound and uplifting experience.

Organised by the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales it attracted an estimated 400 people whom, as well as attending to their duties as pilgrims also wished to attend the Pontifical High Mass offered by 62 year old Bishop Fernando Areas Rifan, Apostolic Administrator of the Personal Apostolic Administration of St Jean Marie Vianney, from Campos, Brazil.                                                                                      
An interesting choice of celebrant as Bishop Rifan was, at one time, "separated" from Holy Mother Church and aligned with the SSPX. He and his Diocese returned to the fold (some might say that he had never left it) in or around the year 2004 and he was then subjected to cries of "traitor" from Bishop Fellay and others within the Society.
The Bishop remains a controversial figure as far as traditionalists are concerned but, after witnessing his devout manner and mellifluous voice and hearing his beautifully articulated sermon, there could be few who would doubt his loyalty to Rome and to tradition.

A great and holy man - Bishop Rifan

In a packed church and on a sanctuary jam packed with Canons, Monsignors, Priests and altar servers, the Mass began.
The Manchester Mozart Schola sang Wolfgang's Coronation Mass and it was rich and beautiful to the extreme; indeed, so much so that it actually became a distraction from the all important proceedings. But a magnificent distraction for all of that.

Mrs Linen and 3 of our group 

In his Sermon, the Bishop uttered the immortal words: "It is not our Mass it is the Lord's Mass" Another way of saying "Don't mess with this it is not within your remit". I am sure the LMS will be publishing the full text so I will not attempt to recall the full homily, suffice to say that it was brief and to the point; two essentials for a sermon that few observe.

The mini bus carrying the bulk (13 of us all told) of the Confraternity of the Holy Cross from Menevia Diocese made an arduous journey from the Shrine of Our Lady of the Taper in Cardigan to the Shrine of St Winefride in Holywell. From the West of Wales to the North.

To those unfamiliar with the geography of Wales let me say that it is not a great distance; maybe 130 or possibly, 140 miles. But the route or routes are winding and up hill and down dale and it took us the best part of 6 hours including a break for a most unhealthy intake of junk food.

Destined for greater glory - 2 deacons and 1 seminarian. Ranaldo
from Brazil and Francisco and Gustavo from Mexico

Some five or six other members of the Confraternity travelled independently so our numbers rose to just about 5% of the assembly.

After Mass we processed from the church down the hill towards the medieval holy well and the actual shrine. As we went we recited the Rosary and crammed (those of us in the forefront) into the well house where the shrine is located.

The Rosary procession to the Shrine

There, beneath the shrine we were able to sing a  hymn to St Winefride (a somewhat modern one I believe but none the worse for that) and individually venerate the relic of the holy saint.

And what pilgrimage would be
complete without  white doves?

Then, as we filed past after the veneration we were able to kneel and kiss His Lordship's ring, an act designed to cause any modernist to have an attack of the vapours.

Bishop Rifan chatting to Joe Shaw of the LMS

Some observations on the day: it was well organised by the LMS and full credit to them. It would have been good if the Mass pamphlet that was issued had carried details of the schola and some attention to proof reading would have been worthwhile, especially as "God" was misspelt. But these are niggles viewed within the full framework of the day.

All in all there cannot have been many (or any) who wound their weary way home without feeling that they had taken part in one of the Church's great events and were one step closer to heaven as a result.

I remembered all of you collectively in my prayers and intentions and, as many as my shrinking brain would allow, I remembered by name.

And thank you to Brian of Umblepie blog for the words and music to a slightly more traditional version of a hymn to St Winefride; it would be good to restore it to the hymn sheets for future pilgrimages. When I learn how to save and copy it I will reproduce it.

Afterwards, pilgrims flocked to the healing waters
of the holy well

A step closer to Holywell

And, on our way there, tomorrow,  in our medieval minibus, we shall sing hymns and say the Rosary and indulge in some good Catholic humour (in the manner of medieval pilgrims).
This is a beautiful piece although, I suspect, we shall be more in the 'Faith of Our Fathers' neck of the woods.

I found this hymn to St Winefride in an old Westminster Hymnal....no idea as to the music, but it tells her story rather well:


                                                            ST WINEFRIDE

More fair than all the vernal flowers

Embosom'd in the dales,

St Winefride in beauty bloom'd,

The rose of ancient Wales.

With every loveliest grace adorn'd,

The Lamb's unsullied bride,

Apart from all the world she dwelt

Upon this mountainside.

Caradoc then, with impious love,

Her fleeing steps pursued,

And in her sacred maiden blood

His cruel hands imbrued.

He straight the debt of vengeance paid,

Ingulf'd in yawning flame;

But God a deed of wonder work'd

To her immortal fame.

For where the grassy sward received

The martyr's sever'd head,

This holy fountain upward gush'd,

Of crystal vein'd with red.

Here miracles of might are wrought;

Here all diseases fly;

Here see the blind, and speak the dumb,

Who but in faith draw nigh.

Assist us, glorious Winefride,

Dear virgin, ever blest!

The passions of our hearts appease,

And lull each storm to rest.

Sacred and ancient - the Lourdes of Wales

Yup, the Confraternity of the Holy Cross (some 10 or 12 of us)  is off, on Sunday, to Holywell to join the LMS annual Pilgrimage.

This holy place is also called the Lourdes of Wales and I hope to be able to dip my toe in the water (no time for a full Lourdes type plunge, I'm afraid - Deo gratias).

I shall pray for you all here, especially Guild of Blessed Titus Brandsma members and Charlie J.

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

This from the Latin Mass Society.......

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.

See our promotional video: http://en.gloria.tv/?media=275498 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibaxStQFP5U

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.

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.

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

The five minute pilgrimage

Today we visited Cardigan, a small town on the far West coast of Wales. Famous for......um.....er.... of course! The famous Cardiganshire Corgi, a dog trained to herd cattle.

But Cardigan is also famous as the home of the National Shrine of Wales, that of Our Lady of the Taper and it has been a place of pilgrimage since the 12th century, maybe longer.

So, on this bright and sunny day we set off to visit good Catholic friends in the vicinity but stopped off first to pay our respects to Our Blessed Mother and to leave a few of our troubles and woes at her feet (and to pray for all Catholic bloggers).

I am happy to report that the Shrine looks good despite the fact that it is located in a 1970s designed church that owes much to the NCP Car Park style of architecture rather than the baroque or gothic.

Most important of all, the statue of Our Lady, candle in hand and the infant Christ cradled in her other arm, looked good, we felt as though we had returned home.

And then, after our five minute pilgrimage we were off to meet our friends in a local hostelry and to engage in Catholic badinage - as has been the custom of Catholic pilgrims since the time of Chaucer.

Did we get that the right way round? Five minutes for Our Lady and her Divine Son and a couple of hours down the pub?

Maybe, maybe not but, as we are off to the LMS Pilgrimage to Holywell as part of The Confraternity of the Holy Cross on 1st July, I thought that Our Lady would be as understanding as all mothers are and bear with us in our weakness.

PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU HAVE A DEVOTION TO OUR LADY, PLEASE USE THIS PICTURE ON YOUR SIDEBAR TO HELP RAISE AWARENESS OF THIS SHRINE WHICH IS SECOND ONLY TO WALSINGHAM IN ENGLAND AND WALES. 

 IT MATTERS NOT IF YOU LIVE IN ENGLAND, THE USA OR ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD.

                                  Shrine Prayer

                   My soul glorifies the Lord,

               Henceforth all ages will call me Blessed.

                The Almighty works marvels for me:

                           Holy His name.

                   Behold the handmaid of the Lord.

              Be it done unto me according to your word.

Father, Your Son Jesus born of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit is the Light of the world. May the same Spirit lead us to imitate Mary’s faith love and humility, that, guided by her example, we may follow the light of her Son on our Journey through life and come at last to see you as you are, and praise you in the everlasting kingdom of heaven.

Amen

Holy Mary Mother of God, you offer your Son for our adoration

May we too treasure His word in our hearts and help bring His light.

              Our Lady of Cardigan         Pray for Wales

              Our Lady of Cardigan         Pray for us

God speed the pilgrims!

                                                                                 

Photo: Pilgrimage to Chartres

Already, groups of pilgrims are beginning to make their way across the Channel to France to begin the Chartres 2012 Pilgrimage.


This is a most wonderful spiritual act and our prayers go out to all on the walk, and, most especially to Caroline and Rich and family (6 children aged roughly from 18 months to 15 years).

This extract from the Black Madonna songs of medieval pilgrims is in their honour.

A little parity for Wales?

Now as I am English (or maybe English with a dash or two of Irish) it may seem strange that I am flying the flag for Wales but, I do have a strong sense of fair play (it's the English part of me) and I notice that just about every blogger...and even the LMS., feature strongly Our Lady of Walsingham and England.
Fine. But, England and Wales are linked not just by the Severn Bridge(s) but also by, what's the phrase?......ecclesiastical union?......you know, the Catholic Bishops Conference is not just England but England and Wales!

Our Lady of Cardigan - pray for parity!

And here in Wales we have, of equal status to Walsingham,
Our Lady of Cardigan, Patron of Wales - Our Lady of the Taper as she is known for an obvious reason - she holds a candle in her right hand.


Admittedly, the shrine is not quite so grand as Walsingham, in fact, it's definitely quite a long way down market compared with Norfolk......I don't know why the Catholic Church in Wales doesn't put a shade more effort into making the shrine a more desirable place to visit....not for me to reason why although I think the word apathy might come into it somewhere. Lack of vision may be another reason.
However, I am drifting off the point, my plea to other bloggers (and to the Latin Mass Society of England and WALES, who may  feature Our Lady of Walsingham on their site), is, please remember Our Lady of the Taper.
And I am sure she will also remember you!

The Ballad of Walsingham

Bitter, bitter oh to behoulde

The grass to growe

Where the walles of Walsingham

So stately did shewe.

Such were the worth of Walsingham

While she did stand,

Such are the wrackes as now do shewe

Of that (so) holy lande.

Levell, levell with the ground

The Towres do lye

Which with their golden, glitt'ring tops

Pearsed oute to the skye.

Where the weare gates noe gates are nowe,

The waies unknown,

Where the presse of freares did passe

While her fame was far blowen.

Oules do scrike where the sweetest himnes

Lately were songe,

Toads and serpents hold thie dennes

Where the palmers did throng.

Weep, weep, O Walsingham,

Whose days are nightes,

Blessings turned to blasphemies,

Holy deedes to dispites.

Sinne is where Our Lady sate,

Heaven turned is to helle;

Sathan sitte where Our Lord did swaye,

Walsingham, oh, farewell!

Second only to Rome..Britain's smallest city

Nestling in the far West of Pembrokeshire, on the tip of Wales lies Britain's smallest city with a population of only 1,600 souls. St David's, or Dewi Sant in Welsh, has long been a holy place and home of the great saint himself.



Built in the depths of a valley to avoid attention from the Vikings!

 The Cathedral is also small but beautiful nonetheless and it lies deep in a small valley at one end of the city. It was built deep in the valley so that it would not be seen by the marauding Vikings who sacked, plundered and pillaged to their heart's delight. It did not escape the attentions of that other marauding sex maniac, Henry XVIII whose men systematically committed sacrilege with the Cathedral and its furnishings and valuables.
Adjacent to the Cathedral are the ruins of the Bishop's Palace.



The Bishop's Palace. Built by Saints destroyed by Sinners

 It is easy to stand outside the Cathedral and be aware of the remnants of the walls of the city and to imagine how, in the middle ages, the local community would have assembled within the city walls at night, for safety's sake. And how the monks would have offered employment to farm labourers, schools for the children and hospitals for the sick.
A veritable society of care and charity which all came to an abrupt end with the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
In medieval times, two pilgrimages to St David's were equal to one to Rome  and what is now the A40 provided much of the route of the pilgrims intent on fulfilling their considerable task of paying homage to God in one of His holy places.
A few miles outside the county town of Haverfordwest lies Slebech Park, now a luxury hotel complex for the wealthy.  This was a final stopping off point before arriving in the city and within the grounds is a ruined chapel with a sarcophagus containing the pickled hearts of the Crusader Knights who died in battle in the Holy Land.
Less than a  mile outside St David's lies St Non's Well, (St Non being the mother of the saint).

St Non's Well - a place to take the waters in medieval times

The water here is supposed to have miraculous properties. Cross the stile and you are in the grounds of a Catholic Retreat house, also called St Non's. It stands atop the cliffs of Pembrokeshire and you look out at the distant shores of Ireland, well, you can't see them but they are there.

St Non's has a faux medieval chapel in the grounds built in, I think, 1938. It is charming despite its youth and cries out for a Latin Mass to be celebrated at its original altar.

St Non's Chapel

The Pembrokeshire Coastal Path stretches out for many miles in both directions and provides for some of the best sea views in the country.

It would be rather a good thing if the Church of Wales would care to endow the Diocese of Menevia with the title deeds to St David's Cathedral, in the spirit of the Ordinariate, of course! It is so very rich in Catholic history and yet, typically, its Catholic heritage just does not appear in much of the information regarding this  
                                               Church and its past.