From the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham
More than four hundred people - the vast majority of them members of
the Ordinariate - joined the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of
Walsingham's fourth annual pilgrimage to Walsingham on Saturday 28 June.
The pilgrims also included a group from the Melkite Catholic Church -
one of the eastern churches which is in full communion with the Holy
See. The pilgrimage was led by the Ordinary, Monsignor Keith Newton. Mgr
John Broadhurst, Assistant to the Ordinary, preached.
The pilgrimage began this year at the Anglican shrine and progressed
to the Catholic one. The rosary was led by the Ordinariate Sisters of
Our Lady of Reconciliation, Sister Jane Louise and Sister Wendy Renate,
who are based in Walsingham. Afterwards, the administrator of the
Anglican Shrine, Bishop Lindsay Urwin, introduced and led the Sprinkling
ceremony. The pilgrims then walked in a silent procession to the
Catholic shrine where Mgr Newton presided at Mass in the afternoon,
which was concelebrated by more than twenty Ordinariate clergy. This
year, for the first time at the pilgrimage, the Mass was celebrated
according to the Ordinariate Use, which integrates centuries' old
Anglican prayers into the Roman rite.
Mgr Broadhurst's sermon focused on Our Lord's words in Luke's
Gospel,"How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in
my Father's house"? Mgr Broadhurst said that Christianity, like Judaism
before it, was a religion of place and he spoke of the great importance
of Walsingham, "England's Nazareth" , as a place of pilgrimage since
the Middle Ages. He related how Sister Wendy had pleased some
parishioners of his recently when she greeted them on their arrival at
the Catholic shrine at Walsingham with the words "welcome home". Mgr
Broadhurst said that this was what Walsingham was about: "being welcomed
and included in the mystery of God's family".
He went on: "the Ordinariate has something important to contribute by
way of welcoming people into the Catholic Church" and he mentioned two
forthcoming Ordinariate events - the Festival at Westminster Cathedral
on 20 September and the Called To Be One exploration day on 6
September, which is aimed especially at non-Catholics who might wish to
know more about the Ordinariate. Mgr Broadhurst said that anyone who
wanted to "come and have a look at what we are and what we are about"
was warmly invited to attend one of the events that would be held around
the country on the exploration day.
Mgr Broadhurst concluded his sermon with a reminder of the Gospel
text. "Jesus said: "did you not know that I must be in my Father's
house?" Mgr Broadhurst said. " It is very clear to me that the Catholic
Church is where I must be. It is the place where our salvation is
guaranteed and our faith is secure. What we need to do is to welcome
others in and offer to share with them that truth".
In a brief address to the congregation after the Mass, the Ordinary
welcomed the group of Melkite Catholics, who, he said were a little
known example of the wonderful and rich diversity of the Catholic
church. Mgr Newton also spoke of the Ordinariate Use liturgy, which he
said, took a little getting used to because different forms of worship
had to be "given time to sink into your pores". But he said the more he
celebrated it, the more he had come to love the Ordinariate Use.
It was announced that next year's pilgrimage would take place on 27 June.
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