CATHOLIC SHRINES OF

ENGLAND & WALES

“The great stream of pilgrims, the humble and simple prayer of the People of God

alternating with liturgical celebrations,

the fulfilment of so many graces that many believers affirm they have received,

and the natural beauty of these places enable us to see how shrines, in their various forms,

represent an irreplaceable opportunity for evangelization in our time.”


Pope Francis

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What is a shrine?

Anyone can set up a shrine in their own home: simply a place for prayer, perhaps with an image or a candle. In Catholic countries wayside shrines are common, such as crosses, calvaries and statues of Our Lady. 


The Catholic Church recognises a shrine officially if people make pilgrimages to it and it is approved by the local bishop. There are three types: 


Diocesan shrines which are approved by the bishop of the diocese.


National shrines which are approved by the Bishops' Conference of the Province, in this case England & Wales. 


International shrines such as Lourdes which are approved by the Holy See, the Diocese of Rome. There are no international shrines in England & Wales.


In addition there are Pontifical shrines which are established personally by the pope of the time. An example is the Shrine at Kings Lynn in the Diocese of East Anglia.


The details of the shrines listed below come from their websites or that of the local diocese. A number of unclassified informal shrines are includes because they are places of pilgrimage but do not claim any formal status. 

Detailed information about many of the shrines and other Catholic cathedrals and churches visited on the Pilgrim Ways can be found on the website of the Taking Stock project below.

Taking Stock

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