First National Ukrainian Pilgrimage in Great Britain to Walsingham
On Saturday, October 18, the first national Ukrainian pilgrimage in the United Kingdom took place at the National Catholic Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham.
This was reported by the Press Service of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Family of London.
The pilgrimage began with a prayerful procession of the faithful from the Church of the Annunciation in Little Walsingham to the Basilica of Our Lady at Walsingham. The procession was led by the Bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Family of London, Right Rev. Kenneth Nowakowski, who, together with all the pilgrims, carried the processional cross and led the faithful into the Basilica.
At the entrance of the shrine, the pilgrims were welcomed by the Rector of the Walsingham Shrine, Fr Robert Billing, who greeted them with the words: “We are very happy today to welcome the Ukrainian pilgrims to our shrine. Every day we continue to pray here for peace in your country and for peace throughout the world.”
During the Divine Liturgy, which was celebrated by Bishop Kenneth together with the priests of the Eparchy, the bishop emphasized the importance of recognizing God’s presence in our daily lives and discerning the miracles that the Lord performs for each of us.
He shared the story of a woman from England who had been struggling with depression. During the war in Ukraine, she began volunteering to help Ukrainians, and this service became a path of healing for her.
“Even today,” the bishop said, “she testifies that she is deeply grateful to the Ukrainian community, because through her encounter with Ukrainians, God freed her from her inner darkness — from depression. And today we, the faithful of our Church, have come here to pray together for peace at this holy place, whose history stretches back more than a thousand years.”
About five hundred faithful from various parishes across England took part in the pilgrimage to pray together at the pilgrimage site, which dates back more than a thousand years. The prayerful atmosphere of the Divine Liturgy was beautifully enriched by the singing of the parish choir from Manchester.
Throughout the pilgrimage, the faithful had the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation in order to obtain a plenary indulgence.
At the end of the celebration, the pilgrims joined together in prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father, after which Bishop Kenneth imparted his Apostolic Blessing.
The solemn celebration concluded with the prayer “Bozhe, Velykyi, Yedynyi” — a heartfelt plea for peace and God’s blessing upon the Ukrainian people.
The UGCC Department for Information
