The Parish Church of St George the Martyr, Waterlooville
Walsingham Pilgrimage
A party of 19 “St George’s Pilgrims” set off at 7.30.am on Friday 5th April for our annual pilgrimage to Walsingham.
Our coach picked up more pilgrims at St Albans, West Leigh and St John’s Rowlands Castle and then we headed to Norfolk.
Lunch had been arranged at the Lamb Inn at Ely, and after our break there we continued north, making good progress until a traffic hold up quite near to our destination resulted in our arrival being somewhat later than planned.
After our First Visit to the Holy House and a welcome from the Shrine staff we made our way to our rooms.
Then it was time to meet for Mass in the modern Barn Chapel, have supper in the Refectory, Shrine Prayers and Compline.
The most energetic then set off to the pub in the village, the more weary of us retired to bed!
Breakfast on Saturday was at 8.am, then we gathered in the Shrine Church for Stations of the Cross before continuing into the gardens. After this a group of us walked to the Catholic Shrine while others took the coach there.
The weather was fine and sunny (by Sunday it was even quite warm!)
We visited the Slipper Chapel, browsed in the shop and had lovely hot chocolate in the cafe.
Then back for lunch and in the afternoon several of us went by coach to Blickling Hall, a National Trust property nearby.
At 6.pm the Mass of Our Lady of Walsingham in the Shrine Church (less crowded than usual we thought), supper, next back to the Church and later the beautiful candlelit procession around the grounds.
We managed to complete the entire circuit this year without our candles blowing out en-
Benediction and the Healing Ministry followed and then everyone could leave very quietly, when they wished to.
At 10.pm we all gathered for our party with quizzes, nibbles and there was some Wallops Wood beer we were still finishing up from Fr Mike’s birthday party.
On Sunday morning there was a Eucharist, again in the Barn Chapel, and we could have any gifts or souvenirs we had bought blessed.
Coffee in the Norton Room, pre-
At 1.30.pm we loaded our cases onto the coach, then back to the Shrine Church for the Sprinkling at the Well, another outdoor procession, Benediction and the Last Visit to the Holy House.
At 4.pm we set off for Hampshire having spent a spiritual but also a very happy and fun weekend at Walsingham.
Festival Edition 2013
News from the Pews
Film Club, Roman Holiday. April.
This 1953 black and white film starred Gregory Peck as an American reporter working in Rome and Audrey Hepburn as a young and very beautiful visiting Princess. The two chance to meet and spend a happy, somewhat reckless time sight-
Meanwhile a “posse” of men in matching suits arrives to retrieve the errant Princess. After a shambolic fight the Princess and the reporter have to go their separate ways, the latter being chivalrous enough not to use the evidence which would tarnish her reputation.
A lovely, romantic film set in the most beautiful of Cities.
Parish Lunch
After the APCM in church on Sunday 21st April, about 60 people, including invited guests, adjourned to the hall for the Parish Lunch. On the menu this year was pate and toast, lasagne and salad, and cold desserts, with sherry to start, wine with the meal, and tea and coffee after.
Film Club, Cool Runnings, May 2013
This fun film follows the exploits of four young Jamaican men who, although living in a country devoid of snow and ice, decide to enter the bobsledding event at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Canada.
Their ‘ambitions’ have been inspired after a disastrous fall in the Jamaican sprint trials, where one had tripped and two others had followed. The only way to get to Calgary was to enter in another event, and bobsledding was available!
They engage a previously disgraced coach, train and finally set off. At first seemingly mismatched, (the sprint trial disaster had not helped) they finally come together as a team, overcoming hostility and ridicule, and although they don’t win, they gain the admiration and respect of their fellow competitors, and return to Jamaica as heroes.
This was a lovely, funny film that we all enjoyed immensely.
Janet Johnson
St George’s Servers leading the procession at Walsingham