On the Eve of the Feast of the Assumption, Walsingham celebrates.  This is not the village but the spiritual community – a virtual community – of like-minded Christians of a Catholic persuasion.

The celebration takes the form of a candle-lit procession through the village singing Marian hymns, with three stops (or Stations) where we listen to scripture and a short homily, then join in prayer in the form of selected decades of the Rosary.

In one of this year’s homilies we heard how Mary kept saying “yes”, from the Annunciation through to her Dormition and Assumption, even though she was told that it would become a sorrow that would pierce her heart, which it did at Calvary.

Very moving, thought-provoking and inspiring.

Then we had fireworks, accompanied by the Music for the Royal Fireworks by Handel played on the Angelican Shrine organ.

Now that really is an Anglo-Catholic celebration!