Ascension Day

The Ascension of Our Lord

Giotto circa 1305

Capella Scrovegni - Arena Chapel

Image: buypopart.com

May I wish all my readers a joyful celebration of the Ascension of Our Lord

Marian Pilgrimage - Our Lady of Clare

The next station on the Pilgrimage is at Our Lady of Clare and the Austin Friars.

My post from last year, again with links to previous comments about this house of Augustinian Friars at Clare, can be found at Marian Pilgrimage - Our Lady of Clare

The Victoria County History of Suffolk vol. ii has a detailed history of the friary, its construction and its relationship with its aristocratic benefactors which can be read  here.

I recently attended an online lecture that referred to the circle of fifteenth century aristocratic women, such as Cecily Duchess of York, who looked to the Clare friars as spiritual guides and counsellors. At this period the Austin friars were one of the leading groups interested in theological and literary studies. One such from Clare can be found in the Wikipedia biography of Osbern_Bokenam

 

The modern shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel at Clare Priory

Image: Flickr

May Our Lady of Clare intercede for us and our intentions

Jesu mercy, Mary pray

 

Marian Pilgrimage - Our Lady of Sudbury

The Pilgrimage now returns to the southern edge of Suffolk and to the shrine of Our Lady of Sudbury. This was in a chapel dedicated to St Anne that still survives as an addition to the south porch of the church of St Gregory.

My post from last year with its links can be seen at Marian pilgrimage - Our Lady of Sudbury

To that I would add that there is now a good illustrated account of St Gregory’s church on Wikipedia at St_Gregory's_Church,_Sudbury, and from Taking Stock there is a good account of the. Catholic parish church at Sudbury - Our Lady and St John the Evangelist

The modern statue of Our Lady of Sudbury created in 1937 in the Catholic Church of  Our Lady and St John the Evangelist 

Image: Taking Stock

 

May Our Lady of Sudbury intercede for us and our intentions 

Jesu mercy, Mary pray

Marian Pilgrimage - Our Lady of Woodbridge

The next shrine on the Pilgrimage is one that appears to have left little in the historical record beyond the fact of its existence as a wayside devotion venerated as Our Lady of Woodbridge.

My post from last year with several links within it can be seen at Marian Pilgrimage - Our Lady of Woodbridge

 I would add to that the link to the Wikipedia entry for the town which does show how the priory was involved in the life of the medieval community. On that basis the shrine may have been one that particularly attracted people from the Deben valley. It can be accessed at Woodbridge,

May Our Lady of Woodbridge intercede for us and our intentions

Jesu mercy, Mary pray

Marian Pilgrimage - Our Lady of Woolpit

The rest of the Pilgrimage today is spent in Suffolk - and we shall return to the county again on our very eccentric itinerary, but no matter.

The first station is at the shrine of Our Lady of Woolpit. My post from last year about it can be seen at Marian Pilgrimage - Our Lady of Woolpit and by following the links my more detailed articles about the history of the devotion from 2020 and 2021 can be accessed.

I have not had the good fortune to visit Woolpit church but quite apart from the tradition of seeking the aid of the Virgin there it is clearly a very fine medieval church building and very well worth visiting for that reason, including the rare survival of the ceilure above the position of the long destroyed Rood. There is more about the building from website of the National Churches Trust at Woolpit Blessed Virgin Mary

The porch at Woolpit Church

Image: Facebook 

May Our Lady of Woolpit intercede for us and our intentions 

Jesu mercy, Mary pray

Marian Pilgrimage - Our Lady of Ely

Before the Pilgrimage returns to Suffolk it stops at Ely Cathedral. This is one of the shrines of Our Lady which I have added to the original itinerary. 

My post from last year, with links to those from previous years which give more information and opinion, can be seen at Marian Pilgrimage - Our Lady of Ely

Ely is situated on what was once an island rising out of the fenland landscape which surrounded it. In the seventh century and until the Norman era this gave security in times of conflict or predation. I the high and later medieval centuries the agricultural wealth of the Isle of Ely and the other estates of the Bishop and of the cathedral priory meant that the cathedral itself was built and rebuilt on a scale of almost unparalleled splendour and beauty by architects and craftsmen of the highest order. It is one of the most breathtaking buildings in the country.  The remoteness that helped secure its foundation means, I suspect, and whilst not wanting it to be swamped with tourists, that it is not visited by many who should do so to appreciate both its grandeur and its exquisite craftsmanship.

The Lady Chapel of Ely Cathedral 

Image: Wikipedia

May Our Lady of Ely intercede for us and our intentions 

Jesu mercy, Mary pray

Marian Pilgrimage - Our Lady of Thetford

The Pilgrimage now travels across East Anglia to west Norfolk and the shrine of Our Lady of Thetford. 

My post from last year has links to those from other years, including one based on the VCH Norfolk account which tells the story of the establishment of the shrine in remarkable detail. Such a contemporary source for these sites of  Marian devotion is an unusual survival. This can all be accessed from the post from last year which can be found at Marian Pilgrimage - Our Lady of Thetford

Aerial reconstruction drawing of Thetford Priory from the north-west, showing how it may have looked in 1540

The Lady Chapel is to the left of the central tower

Image:© English Heritage - painting by Richard Bond

Thetford Priory today

The foundations of the Lady Chapel can be seen to the north of the choir and presbytery of the monastic church

Image: English Heritage

The English Heritage website for the history and remains of the priory can be found at History of Thetford Priory  and at Description of Thetford Priory

May Our Lady of Thetford intercede for us and our intentions

Jesu mercy, Mary pray

 

Marian Pilgrimage - Our Lady of Grace at Ipswich

Returning to East Anglia the next station on the Pilgrimage is at one of the most renowned Marian shrines of medieval England, that of Our Lady of Grace at Ipswich.

It is now believed that the statue from the shrine survived and in 1550 came to a new home at Nettuno on the coast between Rome and Naples.

Our Lady of  Nettuno

Image: Sunny John Photography

My post from last year, withs links to those from previous years can be seen at Marian Pilgrimage - Our Lady of Grace at Ipswich

To this I am pleased to add some more online links about the devotion and the commissioning of new artworks.

On the website of the Diocese of East Anglia is an article by my friend from Oxford days Fr Joseph  Welch, the parish priest of St Pancras in Ipswich, about a new statue of Our Lady of Ipswich which has been created for that church. The figure is copied  closely from that of Our Lady of Nettuno, the ‘English Lady’ believed to be the original statue rescued from Ipswich in the sixteenth century. Fr Joseph’s article can be viewed at Our Lady returns to Ipswich church after 485 years - Catholic Diocese Of East Anglia

On the same website is an article about the inaugural ceremonies and pilgrimages to for the new shrine in St Pancras. This can be seen at Bishop and pilgrims visit Our Lady of Ipswich shrine - Catholic Diocese Of East Anglia

The Bishop of East Anglia census the new statue

Image: Diocese of East Anglia

An article from the parish website of St Mary at the Elms looks at the history of  pilgrimage to Our Lady in Ipswich, the Nettuno story and the 2002 statue in that historic Anglican parish church..The article can be found at The Shrine – St Mary at the Elms, Ipswich

The website of the Catholic church of St Mark at Brantham in Ipswich has a piece about a painting of Our Lady of Ipswich done for the church. This can be accessed at  Our Lady of Ipswich: A Historic Devotion Reborn in the Heart of Suffolk

As part of the Wolsey 550 celebration in Ipswich of the Cardinal’s birth a group, including a Wolsey lookalike in Cardinalatial red, visited Nettuno and can be seen in sixteenth century costume in front of the original statue at Ipswich represented at a very special Italian procession  – Thomas Wolsey

Finally the Messenger of St Anthony has a lengthy article about the friendship the has been built up in recent years between devotees of Our Lady in Ipswich and Nettuno. It can be read at A Tale of Two Cities

May Our Lady of Grace at Ipswich intercede for us and for our intentions

Jesu mercy, Mary pray