For Catholics in Britain, there can be no more important place to pray for life and for the family than at a shrine of which the history began nearly1000 years ago in 1061. It is 10th annual pilgrimage in thanksgiving for the gift of life on Monday, 8th April, next Monday week - and for the intentions of the Pope.
In the Middle Ages Walsingham was known throughout Europe as Little Nazareth - the home of the Holy Family. During that thousand years, there can never have been a greater peril to the sanctity of life, to marriage and to the family than there is today.
As Blessed Pope John Paul II said: “ ... a great prayer for life is urgently needed ... ”, Evangelium Vitae 100.
At the Walsingham shrine, there will be Mass at 12 midday, the feast day of Our Lady of Walsingham - with an afternoon programme including a Holy Hour, Divine Mercy prayers, the Holy mile walk, and Stations of the Cross, plus a visit to the priory grounds or to the Anglican shrine.
At the same time when our British friends will be in Little Nazareth the Icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa will reach the Atlantic Ocean at the Shrine of Our Lady of Nazaré - Portugal after a 65,000 kilometer journey from the coast of the Pacific Ocean at Vladivostok. We will all be entrusting the protection of the civilization of life and love into the hands of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary.
Normally the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of the Annunciation nine months before Christmas on March 25. For us it is also the Day of Sanctity of Life. This year it fell during the Holy Week and was therefore automatically moved to Monday, April 8. On this day many places of the world will unite with Walsingham and Nazaré in prayer for life.