{"id":7280,"date":"2013-09-24T08:09:46","date_gmt":"2013-09-24T12:09:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/monkeymind\/?p=7280"},"modified":"2013-09-24T14:36:21","modified_gmt":"2013-09-24T18:36:21","slug":"the-lady-comes-to-walsingham","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/monkeymind\/2013\/09\/the-lady-comes-to-walsingham.html","title":{"rendered":"The Lady Comes to Walsingham"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

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\nIn the Anglican church calendar today is the feast of Our Lady of Walsingham<\/a>, commemorating an apparition of Mary, Jesus\u2019 mother, to an English noblewoman at the dawn of the eleventh century.<\/p>\n

Me, I\u2019ve always liked appearances of Mary, who I\u2019ve noted elsewhere is flat out my favorite goddess<\/a>. <\/p>\n

This particular feast represents a significant revival of pilgrimage within the Anglican church, a spiritual practice I heartily approve of. (For those hoping for a small sign of approval\u2026)<\/p>\n

This particular festival has also begun to take on an ecumenical aspect within the Christian community, drawing Anglicans and Catholics and in recent years Orthodox observers, and on occasion as co-celebrants\u2026<\/p>\n

All this is perhaps marred for a moment by the attempt to establish a Roman Catholic \u201cuniate<\/a>\u201d body for Anglican rite RC appropriating the name for their upstart organization.<\/p>\n

But\u2026 <\/p>\n

Still, I think she\u2019s big enough for all of us to gather with her.<\/p>\n

Truth be told, I\u2019d welcome an interfaith aspect, as well.<\/p>\n

But, I guess, such is the life of a dreamer\u2026<\/p>\n