The All Saints 2025 Parish Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham
 

From 6–10 October 2025, nine congregation membersof All Saints Clifton enjoyed a deeply enriching retreat to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, led by Mother Nicola Stanley.

The days were filled with prayer, reflection, and fellowship in this sacred and historic place of pilgrimage. Participants spoke of the sense of peace and renewal found amid the rhythms of worship and the beauty of the Norfolk countryside.

Our heartfelt thanks go to Mother Nicola for her gentle leadership and spiritual guidance throughout this meaningful time away. The blessings and insights gained during the retreat will continue to nurture and inspire our shared life of faith and worship at All Saints. 

Reflections from Walsingham

It felt like a pilgrimage; we walked, we prayed, we sang, we kept silence. There were moving liturgies for Stations of the Cross, sprinkling at the well and a torchlit procession in the beautiful grounds of the shrine. There was time to reflect on a personal level, as well as to pray for healing and peace for individuals, communities and nations. We visited the Orthodox and Catholic shrines, to remind us of the universality of Walsingham as a holy Christian place and had time for relaxation and renewal in the beautiful coastal and countryside landscape.

There was a sadness; that our sensitive and spiritual priest was excluded from leading us in sacramental worship. I hope that this situation will change in the future. In the meantime, it seems appropriate to bear witness at this ancient shrine to the need for greater inclusivity in our national church. Above all I felt part of a community: our little group, the wider pilgrimage group gathered at the shrine and the unseen multitudes of Christians, past and present, who walk alongside us.

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We were glad to be part of the parish pilgrimage to Walsingham. The Shrine and all that goes on there is a truly enriching experience. The highlights for us were outdoor stations of the cross, the candle-lit procession and the very special and profound atmosphere of prayer in the Holy House. We look forward to next time.

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My first pilgrimage to Walsingham was quite an experience. Early mornings (depends on what you call early! Ed. ), lovely long walks and an experience I wouldn’t have missed. Thank you to all the group for helping to make my first pilgrimage to Walsingham such a meaningful, spiritual experience.

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We just wanted to let everyone involved know how much we appreciated all the hard work involved during (and of course before) the pilgrimage to Walsingham. It was very well planned, with a suitable mix of religious activity and other events. The whole atmosphere of the Shrine and the community in Walsingham had a very relaxing and spiritual feel to it, and we greatly appreciated being included.

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On our second evening, for the torchlit procession through the beautiful Shrine grounds, the All Saints pilgrims contributed to every aspect of the liturgy: we volunteered to be stewards, servers and an image bearer and Mother Nicola was in the clergy procession. We were very pleased to have been able to help and we felt spiritually that we were really part of what was going on. We took the opportunity to toast ourselves in the bar later that evening!