The Catholic Parish of Our Lady of Walsingham, Corby, holds a special place in England as the only parish with its own Holy House. Here, priests and parishioners can gather to honour Our Lady under her title of Our Lady of Walsingham, offering prayers, petitions, and candles for those in need of her intercession. For those unable to visit the Basilica or Slipper Chapel in Walsingham, Norfolk, this Holy House provides another “England’s Nazareth,” a place to seek Our Lady’s powerful prayers and protection.
To foster greater devotion to Our Lady, a new Confraternity of the Holy House, Corby, is being established. Membership is open to all who wish to honour Our Lady of Walsingham and seek her intercession for the conversion of England and for personal intentions. Members will wear a badge, reminiscent of the pilgrim badges of medieval times, and commit to saying daily the Prayer to Our Lady of Walsingham while encouraging others to join in this devotion. The Confraternity will have a Priest Director and a Lay Guardian.
The devotion to Our Lady of Walsingham has deep roots in English history. In 1061, Our Lady appeared three times to Richeldis de Faverches, a devout widow from Walsingham, Norfolk, showing her a vision of her home in Nazareth. Our Lady asked that this Holy House be recreated in England so that those unable to travel to the Holy Land might still honour the mystery of the Incarnation. Pilgrims flocked to Walsingham for centuries until the shrine’s destruction under King Henry VIII. It was later restored in the nineteenth century through the efforts of Charlotte Boyd, whose conversion to Catholicism and devotion to Our Lady led to the rebuilding of the Slipper Chapel, now the Catholic Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham.
In forming the Confraternity of the Holy House, Corby, the parish continues the ancient tradition of prayer and pilgrimage that has long been associated with England’s Nazareth. Members are asked to pray daily the Prayer to Our Lady of Walsingham and to say the Rosary every Wednesday, either in the Holy House or at home, for the intentions of the shrine, the conversion of England, and all members of the Confraternity. Lifetime membership is £5, which covers the cost of the badge and prayer card.
Cardinal Griffin once said, “The Faith in England will flourish when the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham is flourishing.” Pope Leo XIII echoed this hope, saying, “When England goes back to Walsingham, Our Lady will come back to England.”
The establishment of this new Confraternity in Corby is a living response to that call, inviting the faithful to deepen their devotion to Our Lady and to pray for the renewal of faith in England.
