September 24th is the feast day of the Blessed Virgin Mary under her title as Our Lady of Walsingham. The title derives from the belief that Mary appeared in a vision to Richeldis de Faverches, a devout English noblewoman, in 1061 in the village of Walsingham in Norfolk, England. Lady Richeldis had a Holy House built in Walsingham which became a shrine and place of pilgrimage. Back in May 2011 we had an interview with the director of the national shrine which you can read/listen to HERE.
From Godzdogz:
"Walsingham is also a place where English Christians seek unity. It is a place of pilgrimage for Catholics, Anglicans and Orthodox alike. Though the Anglican Church holds this feast on 15 October, as we celebrate this day let us continue to pray for Christian unity. Last year, the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham was established to allow Anglicans to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church while retaining many of their distinctive traditions.
During his visit to the UK in 2010, Pope Benedict XVI said the Ordinariate 'should be seen as a prophetic gesture that can contribute positively to the developing relations between Anglicans and Catholics. It helps us to set our sights on the ultimate goal of all ecumenical activity: the restoration of full ecclesial communion in the context of which the mutual exchange of gifts from our respective spiritual patrimonies serves as an enrichment to us all'."
Further information on this devotion and the history of the shrine and the fact that England is called "Our Lady's Dowry":
- The National Shrine to Our Lady of Walsingham
- Catholic Culture.org
- The Virgin by the Sea - Our Lady of Walsingham
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