Commemorating Walsingham 1948

THECLIMAX to last week's 50th anniversary commemoration of the 1948 Cross Carrying Pilgrimage to
Walsingham (previewed in Charterhouse Chronicle, July 3) was the Pontifical Concele brated Mass alongside the 600year-old Slipper Chapel of Our Lady of Walsingham.
Bishop Ambrose Griffiths, who as a young lad had himself been one of the cross-carrying pilgrims, set the scene of the time: When in 1948 some 400 people walked 200 or more miles carrying heavy crosses in pilgrimage to this holy place we hoped to see the end of war and the gift of real peace... But even as we walked, a major war time ally was changing into a most dangerous enemy, the Cold War had begun and conflicts were already raging in Palestine and elsewhere."
In 1948, 14 solid-oak crosses, one for each Station of the Cross, were carried, over a two week period, from 14 points in England and Wales to Wals ingham. On the final day, July 16, 1948, the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 1 5,00 0 other pilgrims from all over the country (and students from Boulogne) joined them for the unforgettable ceremonies, led by Cardinal Griffin, to conclude PPP 1948, the Pilgrimage of Prayer and Penance for Peace.
The Berlin Airlift had just started to relieve Soviet besieged Berlin 60 Super fortress bombers were flying from the United States to RAF stations in Britain, including
that at Marham, about 20 miles from Walsingham. The Herald
front page on July 9 gave equal prominence to PPP 1948 and an interview with Cardinal Mindszenty, Primate of Hungary, on communist persecution of the Church in his country (which was to develop into his own persecution).
In 1998 some 30 of those cross-carrying pilgrims of 1948 came again to Walsingham with wives, relatives and representatives of those who have died, some 200 pilgrims in all.
On this occasion, all but one used modern transport. The exception was a 72-year-old veteran of 1948 (and many later pilgrimages) who came again on foot all the way from, appropriately, Canterbury.
Each of the 30 former footpilgrims had a part to play in the anniversary programme. The 14 crosses standing in the grounds of the Slipper Chapel are, of course, the crosses we carried in 1948. So when all the 1998 pilgrims made the Stations of the Cross on the evening of our arrival, a 1948 cross carrier delivered the appropriate scriptural reading at each station and also at the later 15th station signifying the Resurrection. Then, at the Pontifical Concelebrated Mass, all but one of the celebrants were 1948 cross carriers the additional celebrant being Fr Alan Williams, the present director of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. Other cross carriers of 50 years ago participated in other functions and I had the privilege of delivering the first reading.
Here special mention must be made of the person who was chosen for the second reading, a lady, Eileen Lovas. In 1948 several ladies were among the local parishoners who helped carry crosses for short distances into and out of parish churches visited on the various routes, but Eileen did more: she was one of three young schoolgirls, the "truant tTi0", who helped carry Cross I (Westminster) for most of three days through Essex though it must be recorded that their collective truancy was condoned.
Perhaps the most nostalgic event was a symbolic re-enactment of 1948. Another, lighter, cross was carried in procession from the Slipper Chapel along the "Holy Mile" (which is more than a mile) to the Walsingham Priory grounds for the final benediction. It was carried horizontally, as in 1948, with two at the front supporting the cross beam on their shoulders and one behind supporting the foot.
I took my turn at the front with Bishop Ambrose (we were paired off by height, not holiness) and, also symbolically, three brand-new young men carried the cross into the priory grounds. The benediction, mostly in 1948-style Latin, was given by Mgr John Furnival, son of 1948 cross carrier Joe Furnival who also participated. Walsingham is, of course, a centre of pilgrimage also for the Church of England and the Anglican shrine there should not be missed on a visit so was it just ecumenical coincidence that at 4 o'clock, as the Monstrance was elevated to outline the four points of the cross, we could just hear four perfectly timed chimes from the clock tower of Walsingham's parish church of St Mary's?
Other "coincidences" were carefully planned: Mgr Furnival was secretary to the late Archbishop Derek Worlock, who, as Fr Derek Worlock, participated in PPP 1948 as secretary to Cardinal Griffin.
Mgr Furnival had earlier spoken on the inspiration behind PPP 1948, "a miracle of organisation and a great act of courage," by Charles Osborne as a "magnificent response to the call of Pope Pius XII for
an act of reparation and repentance after World War II".
We were reminded later how Charles Osborne's participation in the 1946 pilgrimage carrying a cross to Vezelay in France had prompted him to organise and lead a similar pilgrimage carrying a cross from Bishop's Stortford to Walsingham in 1947 as a rehearsal for PPP 1948, and how PPP 1948 had been actively supported nationwide by the Union of Catholic Mothers. Fr Columba Ryan conveyed a special message of greeting from Charles' 99-yearold widow Ursula, and we were joined by their on Major Miles Osborne and his wife. We were also reminded of the annual Student Cross pilgrimages which also started in 1948, and the Guild of Ransom pilgrimages. PPP 1948 men figured in them all.
The inspired and defatigable 1998 organiser was 1948 pilgrim John Lyons who, 50 years ago, helped carry Cross XI from Birkenhead and his "baker" was Mgr Fu.mival. It was John who organised the production of the elaborately illuminated, hand-crafted Waltirigham Book as a record of PPP 1 948 and then led the 1992 walk to carry it from Birkenhead to Walsingham. (I took part at each end of this mini-pilgrimage but net the hard bit in the middle.)
In 1948 the weather ranged from very wet to very hot presumably that was part of the penance. But last week Our Lady of the Weather took care
of us: it rained only when we were indoors, it was cool when we carried the "lightweight" cross, and it was brilliantly sunny for benediction in the priory grounds. There was prayer certainly, but no real penance this time (except for those who walked), thanks to the wonderful work of the tireless staff at the Walsingham Shrine and the excellent accomodation and meals in the pilgrim centre.
No words can adequately describe how we instantly resumed the Christianity and comradeship of 1948 and how we appreciated the short presentations from personal diaries and recollections. We all have or at least have seen many of the press photographs of the time, but were enthralled to see a video made from a previously "lost" cine film, in black and white of course, recently discovered by Mgr Pat Corrigan of Banbury.
The 1998 Commemoration of PPP fined neatly into the current year of events for the centenary of the restoration of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, the history of which goes back to 1061, five years before William the Conqueror and not long before a previous millennium. There was certainly talk of PPP 2000.
Details of pilgrimages throughout the year may be obtained from the Pilgrim Bureau at Walsingham, 01328 820217 Dermot Doran (Cross IV, 1948)