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 On Sunday 2nd February, Fr. Tony Noble will celebrate the fortieth anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.
Fr Tony writes: It is an honour for me to be celebrating the 40th anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood in Walsingham on February 2nd - and I thank Fr Harri Williams for his kind invitation. I first came to Walsingham in August 1974. I was an Australian in London on a typical working holiday. In February 1975 I came on a parish pilgrimage with my parish priest, Fr Myles Bebbington, and heard a distinct call to the priesthood. I subsequently returned to Australia, entered seminary and was ordained 40 years ago in St Peter’s cathedral, Adelaide. My ministry has seen me a Parish Priest in Elizabeth, South Australia, Melbourne, Victoria, and San Diego, California. I retired in 2011 and assisted at the shrine every October when Bishop Lindsay was administrator. Now living in Melbourne, I visit Walsingham 3 times a year. It is my spiritual home and St Mary’s is my parish - even from such a distance! Bishop Norman will be visiting Holt on Sunday 23rd February to administer the sacrament of confirmation.
Please pray for all those preparing to be confirmed.
Fr Frank Nichols will be celebrating the Golden Jubilee of his Ordination on Sunday 15th December 2019 at 11.00 am at S. Mary’s, Little Walsingham, when he will give thanks for fifty years of ministry as a priest in the Church of God.
‘God who is infinite holiness has borne with you a long time: you may well bear with yourself a little till His grace shall have done its perfect work’. Fr Herbert Kelly SSM See the events calendar for more information.
Edmund the Martyr, Saint, King of East Anglia, b. about 840; d. at Hoxne, Suffolk, November 20, 870. The earliest and most reliable accounts represent St. Edmund as descended from the preceding kings of East Anglia, though, according to later legends, he was born at Nuremberg (Germany), son to an otherwise unknown King Alcmund of Saxony. Though only about fifteen years old when crowned in 855, Edmund showed himself a model ruler from the first, anxious to treat all with equal justice, and closing his ears to flatterers and untrustworthy informers. In his eagerness for prayer he retired for a year to his royal tower at Hunstanton and learned the whole Psalter by heart, in order that he might afterwards recite it regularly. In 870 he bravely repulsed the two Danish chiefs Hinguar and Hubba who had invaded his dominions. They soon returned with overwhelming numbers, and pressed terms upon him which as a Christian he felt bound to refuse. In his desire to avert a fruitless massacre, he disbanded his troops and himself retired towards Framlingham; on the way he fell into the hands of the invaders. Having loaded him with chains, his captors conducted him to Hinguar, whose impious demands he again rejected, declaring his religion dearer to him than his life. His martyrdom took place in 870 at Hoxne in Suffolk. After beating him with cudgels, the Danes tied him to a tree, and cruelly tore his flesh with whips. Throughout these tortures Edmund continued to call upon the name of Jesus, until at last, exasperated by his constancy, his enemies began to discharge arrows at him. This cruel sport was continued until his body had the appearance of a porcupine, when Hinguar commanded his head to be struck off. From his first burial-place at Hoxne his relics were removed in the tenth century to Beodricsworth, since called St. Edmundsbury, where arose the famous abbey of that name. His feast is observed November 20, and he is represented in Christian art with sword and arrow, the instruments of his torture.
 On the morning of Saturday 6th July about 30 local people turned out for what was to be the second local Parish Pilgrimage. The first had been organised by Fr Hope Patten for 24th/26th October 1922 and was eagerly anticipated by him, however when he went to meet the train bringing people to this first Walsingham Pilgrimage there were only three people emerged from the train, Fr Hibbs and two elderly ladies, not to be outdone by this, he went to the local people and got them to turn out to take the place of the pilgrims. This was so successful with the locals experiencing the full might of a Pilgrimage to Walsingham, and they gave Fr Patten their complete support in future years with Pilgrimages, with many local people providing accommodation for them for a token payment. In future years the pilgrims came to Walsingham; the flood of people grew and grew to what it is today. Then on 6th July 1997 S. Mary’s celebrated the 75th Anniversary of the Setting up of the Image of O.L.W. in the Guild’s Chapel in S. Mary’s, and now 22 years later we were following in these traditions. So, on this Saturday in July, we were treading in the footsteps of those first local people who attended the very first pilgrimage! Some hardy people started the barefoot walk to the Slipper Chapel for Prayers and the Holy Walk, and others began at the Priory for the Opening Pilgrimage Prayers in the Chapel of Our Lady and the first Visit to the Holy House. In the Holy House; as it was raining outside, we could hear the prayers of many other groups, having come in from the rain; who had come to Walsingham exactly for what we were doing ourselves. It was very moving, to be one among many more, so alone and so together with others! All prayers so very personal, and yet so very much together with all, and all with one purpose to give praise to our Lord. We then gathered in the Shrine church for the 12noon Mass, again with other groups, all one and all everyone. After this was lunch in the Refectory, all very good, served by the ever helpful Shrine staff. After fellowship together and thoroughly fed and watered we had some time to ourselves before Sprinkling at 2.30pm. Again, after this we had time to reflect over the day and wonder what that first group had thought as they had given up their time to make that very first Pilgrimage a success and so lead the way for others to follow. I, for one am very glad they had made that possible as Walsingham would NOT be the Walsingham we know and love today without them, and of course for Fr Hope Patten who we should always remember with love and thanksgiving for making his dreams come to fruition! A Pilgrim. This article first appeared in the Walsingham parish newsletter.
A new chapter began for St. Peter West Lynn on Tuesday August 27th, when a service of welcome marked the beginning of its partnership with All Saints, King's Lynn, following the retirement of their rector, Fr. Andrew Davey. The Bishop of Richborough crossed the river (and the diocesan boundary) via the ferry, which has been running since 1285. Local press covered the occasion - for more info see the links below: KL.FM - report and video YourLocalPaper - report and photo gallery  Bishop Norman with clergy, servers and churchwardens after the welcome service There were a number of ordinations for our parishes this Petertide:
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