In his capacity as Police Chaplain, on 16th July Rev’d Les Rees went along to meet Burton Police Cadets. Two representatives from the Gideons International were there too, to distribute Bibles. Wendy and Les were both members of the Gideons for many years so they both went along and were delighted to meet their members.The Police Cadet scheme is open to youngsters between 13 and 17 years of age. Their aim is to foster good relationships between the police and young people and to show young people the principals of good citizenship. Some of the Cadets may be police officers in the fullness of time. It was a pleasure to meet these young people.
From Monday 8 July until late on Thursday 11 July 2019 Wendy and Les (our vicar) led a group of 17 people to the Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. Most of the group attend churches locally. The youngest pilgrim was Dylan, aged 10 years.The Shrine at Walsingham became popular in the Middle Ages when the Lady of the Manor, Lady Richeldis had a vision of the Virgin Mary who told her to build in Walsingham Village a replica of the Holy House of Nazareth (where the Angel Gabriel announced Jesus' birth). Lady Richeldis did so, a miraculous well appeared, and thousands of pilgrims came to Walsingham from far and wide. The later Middle Ages saw King Henry VIII in dispute with the Roman Catholic church. He ordered the disillusion of the monasteries and the destruction of shrines including the shrine at Walsingham (where he had himself been a pilgrim.). The Shrine was restored and rebuilt in the 20th century, the local vicar Father Hope Patton being the inspiration and leading the project. Whilst on this visit the group enjoyed worship and Les was twice able to celebrate the Eucharist for our own group. They went to the service of healing in the Shrine Church and the service of Benediction on more than one occasion. The weather was good to them and they enjoyed trips out on their coach to Cromer, Wells-next-the Sea, and on the way home Les was permitted to hold Evening Prayer Service in the Church of St. Mary Magdalen on the Queen's Sandringham Estate. Thanks were expressed to Wendy for her painstaking work in preparing this trip.
