The Slipper Chapel - Walsingham - geograph

The Basilica of Our Lady of Walsingham is a

Catholic basilica Basilicas are Catholic church buildings that have a designation, conferring special privileges, given by the Pope. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectural ...

and national shrine in

Houghton Saint Giles Houghton Saint Giles is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Barsham, in the English county of Norfolk. The village has also been referred to as Houghton-le-Dale or Houghton-in-the-Hole. Houghton Saint Giles is located ...

, Norfolk, England, located one mile from

Walsingham Walsingham () is a civil parish in North Norfolk, England, famous for its religious shrines in honour of Mary, mother of Jesus. It also contains the ruins of two medieval Christian monasticism, monastic houses.Ordnance Survey (2002). ''OS Expl ...

. It incorporates both the historic Slipper Chapel, built in 1340, and the contemporary Chapel of Our Lady of Reconciliation, completed in 1982. The Slipper Chapel, originally known as the Chapel of Saint

Catherine of Alexandria Catherine of Alexandria, also spelled Katherine, was, according to tradition, a Christian saint and Virginity, virgin, who was martyred in the early 4th century at the hands of the emperor Maxentius. According to her hagiography, she was both a ...

, was the last chapel on the

pilgrim The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often vocalize it as ...

route to the Priory of Our Lady of Walsingham. It was elevated to the status of a

minor basilica Basilicas are Catholic church buildings that have a designation, conferring special privileges, given by the Pope. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectura ...

Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...

in 2015. In 1934, the venerated Marian image of

Our Lady of Walsingham Our Lady of Walsingham is a title given to Mary, the mother of Jesus, venerated by Catholics and high-church Anglicans. According to tradition, the title is linked to a Marian vision experienced in 1061 by Lady Richeldis de Faverches, an Angl ...

was translated from the Our Lady of the Annunciation Church in

King's Lynn King's Lynn, known until 1537 as Bishop's Lynn and colloquially as Lynn, is a port and market town in the borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk in the county of Norfolk, England. It is north-east of Peterborough, north-north-east of Cambridg ...

to the Chapel of Saint Catherine of Alexandria (Slipper Chapel), which has served as a Catholic national shrine and a focal point of

Marian devotion Marian devotions are external pious practices directed to the person of Mary, mother of Jesus, by members of certain Christian traditions. They are performed in Catholicism, High Church Lutheranism, Anglo-Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Orie ...

since that year. On 15 August 1954,

Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII (; born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli; 2 March 18769 October 1958) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death on 9 October 1958. He is the most recent p ...

granted a

canonical coronation A canonical coronation () is a pious institutional act of the pope, duly expressed in a formal decree of a papal bull, in which the pope bestows the pontifical right to impose an ornamental crown, a diadem or an aureola, aureole to an image of ...

to the venerated image of the

Blessed Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

under the title of Our Lady of Walsingham, which remains enshrined within the Slipper Chapel and continues to be a site of Marian pilgrimage.

Early history

When the Chapel of Saint Catherine of Alexandria (Slipper Chapel) was built, Walsingham was second only to

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

in importance as an English pilgrimage site, attracting pilgrims from across the country and beyond. In 1538, following

King Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disagreement w ...

English Reformation The English Reformation began in 16th-century England when the Church of England broke away first from the authority of the pope and bishops Oath_of_Supremacy, over the King and then from some doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church ...

, the chapel fell into disuse and was repurposed over the centuries as a

poorhouse A poorhouse or workhouse is a government-run (usually by a county or municipality) facility to support and provide housing for the dependent or needy. Workhouses In England, Wales and Ireland (but not in Scotland), "workhouse" has been the more ...

, a

forge A forge is a type of hearth used for heating metals, or the workplace (smithy) where such a hearth is located. The forge is used by the smith to heat a piece of metal to a temperature at which it becomes easier to shape by forging, or to the ...

, a cowshed,Catholic Tradition website
/ref> and a

barn A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In North America, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.Allen G ...

.Norfolk Churches website
/ref> In 1863, Charlotte Pearson Boyd (1837–1906), a wealthy local woman and convert to

Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

from

Anglicanism Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

, identified the chapel. She purchased the building from the farm owner in 1896, restored it, and then donated the chapel to

Downside Abbey Downside Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in England and the senior community of the English Benedictine Congregation. Until 2019, the community had close links with Downside School, for the education of children aged 11 to 18. Both the abbey ...

for Catholic devotion. The chapel underwent further restoration in 1904 under the direction of architect

Thomas Garner Thomas Garner (1839 – 30 April 1906) was one of the leading English Gothic Revival architects of the Victorian era. He is known for his almost 30-year partnership with the architect George Frederick Bodley. Early life Born at Wasperton H ...

. On 6 February 1897, the Our Lady of the Annunciation Church in

was re-established as the national shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, authorising the image for public veneration by

papal rescript Papal rescripts are responses of the pope or a Congregation of the Roman Curia, in writing, to queries or petitions of individuals. Some rescripts concern the granting of favours; others the administration of justice under canon law, e. g. the ...

from

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII (; born Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2March 181020July 1903) was head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 until his death in July 1903. He had the fourth-longest reign of any pope, behind those of Peter the Ap ...

. In 1934, the image was subsequently translated to the Chapel of Saint Catherine of Alexandria (Slipper Chapel) in Houghton Saint Giles, near Walsingham. On the

Feast of the Assumption The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it on 1 November 1950 in his apostolic constitution as follows: It leaves open the question of whether Mary died or whether she was ra ...

, 15 August 1934, Bishop Laurence Youens of Northampton celebrated the first public

Mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...

in the Slipper Chapel in four hundred years. Two days later, Cardinal

Francis Bourne Francis Alphonsus Bourne (1861–1935) was an English prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as the fourth Archbishop of Westminster from 1903 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1911. Biography Early life Franci ...

led a national pilgrimage of the Catholic bishops of

England and Wales England and Wales () is one of the Law of the United Kingdom#Legal jurisdictions, three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. It covers the constituent countries England and Wales and was formed by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. Th ...

, along with more than 10,000 people, to the shrine. From that date, it became the Catholic national shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham.The Catholic Walsingham website
/ref>

Holy mile

Since the 14th century, the Slipper Chapel has served as the final 'wayside' chapel on the pilgrimage route, marking the place where pilgrims traditionally removed their shoes to walk the last 'holy mile'—a penitential journey—to

Walsingham Priory Walsingham Priory, originally established in the 12th century, was a monastery of Augustinian Canons regular in Walsingham, Norfolk, England. Also known as the Augustinian Priory of The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it became a signi ...

barefoot, hence its designation as the 'Slipper' Chapel. Many modern pilgrims continue this tradition, removing their shoes at the chapel and walking the final mile into Walsingham barefoot.

Modern revival

The Slipper Chapel houses a venerated wooden image of

, inspired by an image in

Santa Maria in Cosmedin The Basilica of Saint Mary in Cosmedin (; Latin: Santa Maria ''de Schola Graeca'') is a minor basilica, minor basilican churches of Rome, church in Rome, Italy, dedicated to the Mary, mother of Jesus, Virgin Mary. It is located in the rione (neig ...

. Carved in

Oberammergau Oberammergau is a municipality in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in Bavaria, Germany. The small town on the Ammer River is known for its woodcarvers and woodcarvings, for its NATO School, and around the world for its 380-year tradition of ...

, Germany, in the late 19th century, the image was blessed in Rome by Pope Leo XIII. In 1982, the statue was transported to

Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...

, where it was given a place of honour on the

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

during

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

's visit to Britain. Each year on 8 September, on the Feast of the Birth of Our Lady, the statue of Our Lady of Walsingham is carried several miles in a procession that begins at the Slipper Chapel. The

Grade II listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...

presbytery was built in 1904, likely by architect

. Today, the complex surrounding the Slipper Chapel includes the Chapel of Our Lady of Reconciliation, completed in 1982, which accommodates up to 350 people for services and can open towards the pilgrimage area for larger ceremonies. The site also features a picnic area, gift shop, and

tea room A teahouse or tearoom (also tea room) is an establishment which primarily serves tea and other light refreshments. A tea room may be a room set aside in a hotel, especially for serving afternoon tea, or may be an establishment that only serve ...

. In 2007, the Slipper Chapel was featured in the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

documentary series ''

How We Built Britain ''How We Built Britain'' is a series of six television documentaries produced by the BBC in 2007 and repeated in 2008. The series was written and presented by broadcaster David Dimbleby. In the series Dimbleby visits some of Britain's great histor ...

'', presented by

David Dimbleby David Dimbleby (born 28 October 1938) is an English journalist and former presenter of current affairs and political programmes, best known for having presented the BBC topical debate programme '' Question Time''. He is the son of broadcaster ...

Canonical coronation of the image

On 15 August 1954,

delegated his

Papal nuncio An apostolic nuncio (; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international organization. A nuncio is a ...

, Monsignor Gerald O'Hara, to crown the venerated image of the Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of Walsingham in his apostolic name. The coronation was funded by gold and jewels donated by Catholic women from across the country and accompanied by a

papal bull A papal bull is a type of public decree, letters patent, or charter issued by the pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the leaden Seal (emblem), seal (''bulla (seal), bulla'') traditionally appended to authenticate it. History Papal ...

issued by the

Sacred Congregation of Rites The Sacred Congregation of Rites was a Congregation (Roman Curia), congregation of the Roman Curia, erected on 22 January 1588 by Pope Sixtus V by ''Immensa Aeterni Dei''; it was divided into two separate congregations by Pope Paul VI on 8 May 196 ...

. According to contemporary footage from

Pathé Pathé SAS (; styled as PATHÉ!) is a French major film production and distribution company, owning a number of cinema chains through its subsidiary Pathé Cinémas and television networks across Europe. It is the name of a network of Fren ...

, approximately 15,000 pilgrims attended the coronation ceremony of the venerated image of the

Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

at Walsingham. The event featured a solemn procession along the "holy mile" leading to the shrine, culminating in the canonical crowning performed by O'Hara on behalf of Pope Pius XII. A significant moment occurred when two white doves landed on the lap of the image, an event regarded by attendees as miraculous. British and American military personnel from nearby RAF Sculthorpe reportedly provided event security for the large gathering. The Slipper Chapel also served as a place of worship for Catholic

chaplains A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a Minister (Christianity), minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a laity, lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secularity, secular institution (such as a ho ...

serving in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

and USAF personnel stationed at RAF Sculthorpe.

Status as a minor basilica

On 27 December 2015,

elevated the sanctuary to the status of a

, along with the Catholic shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, through a pontifical decree issued by the

Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments The Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments () is the dicastery (from , from δικαστής, 'judge, juror') of the Roman Curia that handles most affairs relating to liturgical practices of the Latin Church as distin ...

Rectors

#1964–1968: Peter Harris (Westminster) #1968–1978: Roland Connelly #1979–1984: Clive Birch #1984–1992: Peter Allen #1992–2000: Alan Williams #2000–2008: Noel Wynn #2008–2015: Alan Williams #2015–2020: John Armitage (Brentwood) #2020–2023:

Philip Moger Philip Moger (born 25 April 1955) is an English bishop of the Catholic Church serving as auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Southwark. As of 24 February 2025, he is on a sabbatical. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Leeds and ser ...

. #2023-present: Robert Billings

Interior

File:Our Lady of Walsingham.JPG, The venerated image of

granted a

Canonical coronation A canonical coronation () is a pious institutional act of the pope, duly expressed in a formal decree of a papal bull, in which the pope bestows the pontifical right to impose an ornamental crown, a diadem or an aureola, aureole to an image of ...

on 15 August 1954 File:Slipper Chapel, Houghton St Giles, Norfolk - East end - geograph.org.uk - 319688.jpg, Inside the shrine's east end

References

External links

Catholic National Shrine and Basilica of Our LadyThe Slipper Chapel on the Walsingham website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walsingham, Our Lady Buildings and structures completed in 1340 Churches completed in the 1340s 14th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United Kingdom Christian pilgrimages Chapels in England Shrines to the Virgin Mary Roman Catholic churches in Norfolk Religion in Norfolk Minor basilicas in the United Kingdom Roman Catholic chapels in England Grade I listed churches in Norfolk Walsingham 14th-century church buildings in England Conventual Franciscan churches in the United Kingdom Roman Catholic shrines in the United Kingdom