Glastonbury Pilgrimage 2023
“Mary, Queen of Peace”
Our Pilgrimage programme commenced on the morning of Sunday 9th July in the Shrine of Our Lady of Glastonbury. The Blessed Sacrament was exposed on the altar, and we also had the relics of three saints, St Columba, St Andrew, and St Margaret, on display in front of the altar. The relics are currently on a tour organised by the Knights of St Columba around the South of England this July. The Knights of Columba kindly marshal our Annual Pilgrimage each year. At 11.30am the Shrine Church was full of Pilgrims from near and far as the Rosary began to be said.
At 12 noon the bearers carried the Statue of Our Lady of Glastonbury out of the Shrine and into the Abbey grounds. The Shrine remained open for Silent Adoration and Confessions. Our Lady was stationed near to where the Rosary Procession would start a little later. The members of the Shrine's Healing Ministry were kept busy with Pilgrims coming to them for healing at the Chapel near to the entrance to the Abbey. At 2.00pm the Procession started to line up and we were honoured to have our Mayor, Cllr Indra Donfrancesco, and other Civic Dignitaries with us. Also in procession were Knights and Dames of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre and we were joined by walking Pilgrims who left Bristol on 7th July and had made their way here on foot. The Knights of St Columba did a great job of marshalling the Procession as they do every year. The Procession went through the Abbey grounds, out past Abbey House and then into Chilkwell Street. All the time the Rosary was said, and hymns were sung in between each decade. The Procession continued down the High Street, into Magdalene Street and then back into the Abbey through the gates opposite the Shrine.
Pilgrims then made their way into the Nave of the Abbey in readiness for Mass which started at 3.30pm. The Mass was celebrated by the Bishop of Clifton, Rt. Rev. Declan Lang. All throughout the day we were blessed with dry, sunny weather, however it was a little breezy. The next Pilgrimage will take place on Sunday 14th July 2024.
