A key part of our spirituality is the centrality of the Lord and the honour we offer to his mother.
Each year we visit the Shrine
of Our Lady of Walsingham
on a spiritually refreshing retreat.
The history of Walsingham goes back nearly a thousand years.
The lady of the manor, Richeldis, had a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary who told her to build a replica of the stable into which Jesus had been born. She found a site, set out the dimensions and the digging began: they quickly struck a spring - a sure sign of God's favour - and established a shrine. For hundreds of years, pilgrims from all over the land made their way to England's Nazareth.
Although Henry VIII sponsored a candle, that didn't stop his reformation destroying shrines and Walsingham was one of the victims.
In the early 20th century, the then vicar studied the history and established a new shrine. When the foundations of the new Shrine Church were dug, a spring was found and taken as an important sign of God's favour on the restored venture. Now thousands of pilgrims travel to Walsingham for rest and refreshment.
2018 Pilgrimage
The pilgrimage will run from Friday 21st - Sunday 23rd September.
The cost will be finalised in January 2018.
In 2017, we set off a little before 10am on the Friday
and were back a little after 7.30pm on the Sunday.
The next pilgrimage timings will be similar.
2017 Pilgrimage
15-17 September 2017
This year's pilgrimage sets off on Friday 15 September and we hope to be in Walsingham by around 3pm.
Over the course of our weekend we shall experience the ministries of healing, follow the Stations of the Cross and join in processions.
We shall stay there until Sunday and hope to return to Swanley by about 8pm.
The cost of this year's pilgrimage is £172 which includes meals and coach travel.
For a copy of this year's pilgrimage leaflet click HERE.