Be Part of Walsingham's future today

The date is October 15th 1931. A procession is wending its way down the medieval High Street in the small Norfolk village of Little Walsingham. There are priests and a Bishop in beautiful robes, smartly dressed children and crowds of laypeople all singing God's praises as they walk. And at the centre of the procession there is a beautiful image; Mary pointing to her Son, the Christ child. The procession arrives at its destination and the image is placed into a humble little house, a replica of Mary's own home in Nazareth. An ancient place of pilgrimage has been restored. 75 years later, and Walsingham is one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in the country. People of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities come and pray in that little house. They are inspired by Mary's example and prayers, and as always she points them to her Son, he who is the source of healing, life and salvation.

As 2006 approaches, parishes across the country will be celebrating the anniversary of The Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, and there is a great deal for which to give thanks. Perhaps you've got your own story about how that special place has touched your own life. But an anniversary is also an opportunity to look ahead. What kind of Shrine is Walsingham going to be in the next 75 years?

There are a number of priorities. The accommodation at Walsingham is comfortable, but there needs to be more provision for families, people with disabilities and those who require en-suite or ground floor rooms. The main reception needs to be re-located to a more central site and one that complies with the disability discrimination act. And did you know that 345,000 people visit Walsingham each year, many of them just passing through? The Shrine needs a place where visitors can learn about the Shrine and be prepared for their visit to the Holy House.

To meet these needs, the Shrine has announced a big development plan which will entail the restoration of an accommodation building (Stella Maris) and its extension with the new Milner Wing. These are really exciting and imaginative plans which will provide a Visitor Centre, beautiful new accommodation with wonderful views of the garden and a new reception area. All the new rooms will be en-suite and will be accessible at ground floor level or by lift. The entrances to the Shrine will be redesigned to make them safer and more attractive. With the new development complete, the Shrine really will be ready for the future.

But a building like this doesn't come cheap! The Shrine has launched an appeal for {\163}2 million and every pilgrimage parish is being asked to lend its support. What can we do here in our parish to play a role in these exciting plans?

- You might like to make a donation to the appeal or even take out a banker's order pledging a certain amount each month until the Appeal has reached its target.

- There might be fundraising ideas that we can see through in our own parish. Let's see who can come up with the most imaginative idea!

- We could play host to one of the staff from Walsingham or one of the Guardians and hear about the new plans at first hand.

If you have any ideas or questions, please have a word with the Walsingham Cell Secretary, Yvonne Jones.

Walsingham is a wonderful gift from God, a special place where God's presence is almost tangible, where prayer seems to fall easily from the lips, where we catch a glimpse of the life of heaven. Let's think about how we can play our part in passing this remarkable place on to future generations.