B.R. PLAN SCHOOLS PILGRIM TRAIN

Catholic Herald Reporter
BRITISH RAILWAYS, on their own initiatiste, are organising this year's Ascension Day (May 23)' childrens' pilgrimage from London to Walsingham. They are themselves circularising Catholic schools. Providing there are sufficient bookings-near 600 are neededa special train will leave Liverpool Street station at 9.15 a.m. and will stop at any prearranged station en route to pick up additional parties of children.
The train will arrive at King's Lynn at 11.53 a.m. and the children will travel on to Walsingham by coach. Together with children of the Northampton diocese they will visit the Abbey ruins, walk in procession to the Slipper Chapel escorting the statue of Our Lady of Walsingham, and will attend a special Mass arranged by Walsingham's parish priest, Fr. Gerard Hulme.
Inclusive charge including rail and coach fares. will be 16s. 6d. for children under 16: 27s. for those over 16. Masters and Mistresses in proportion of one to 20 juveniles, 6s.
The pilgrimage is normally arranged by the Metropolitan Catholic Teachers' Association, hut the organiser, Fr. H. Clark, of John Fisher School, Purley, told me this week, last year they had been unable to get enough bookings for a train and went instead by coach.
"This initiative by British Railways is welcome", sad Fr. Clark, who urges schools to book as early as possible. 0 As this train is designated by B.R. as a "Schools' Educational Excursion to Walsingham", some schools may be able to get a grant from the local authority for a "school journey".
Students' Mass
Some 400 Catholic students from schools, university colleges, polytechnics, technical colleges, teachertraining colleges and colleges of music. in London and the Home Counties, were present on Saturday at the Annual Student Mass, held this year at Brampton Oratory. The sermon was given by Fr. John Fay, National Chaplain of Y.C.S.