May 25th 2004, Queen of the May
Glorious sunshine in Moorends on Sunday May 23rd blessed the very first joint procession to honour Our Lady of Walsingham - a shared initiative of the Anglican parish of St.Wilfrith's and of the Catholic parish of St. Joseph and St. Nicholas, Moorends.
The statue of Our Lady of Walsingham was carried from St. Wilfrith's to St. Joseph's in a celebration of the love Christians have for Mary the mother of Jesus and as a Christian witness to the society in which we live. Walsingham is England's very own pilgrimage site in Norfolk, where a shrine to Mary was established in 1061. After several centuries of dereliction the shrine at Walsingham has been restored to vibrant life and it is often thronged with pilgrims from all over Britain, Europe and the world who come to seek the spiritual values which have sometimes been displaced or lost in our technological age. The original statue of Our Lady was blessed by Pope John Paul II on his visit to Britain in 1982.
Many parishioners from both churches -as well as other welcome visitors from parishes in Thorne and Doncaster took part in the procession. Prayers were shared in a brief act of worship at St.Wilfrith's before the procession set off - with the rousing accompaniment of the brass band from Skelmanthorpe playing well-known hymns- and ended in St. Joseph's with prayers by the two parish priests Fr. Richard Parker and Fr. Roy Pannell.
Marching in the sun is thirsty work so the refreshments - a splendid spread of cakes and sandwiches, and lots of tea and coffee were greeted with enthusiasm. Great thanks must go to the two priests for the idea of the procession and to all the organisers and participants for what proved to be a very happy coming together of friends. Britain was once described as an island of saints- perhaps it will be again.
If you would like a print of any of these photos please get in touch with Kate Heywood as soon as possible
