For information regarding our September 2017 Pilgrimage to England: Mary’s Dowry, please read below. 

Please call 202-536-4555 or email [email protected] to have us hold a place for you. We expect a quick sellout!

Inside the Vatican Pilgrimages
England: Mary’s Dowry
August 31—September 10, 2017
Heathrow, Canterbury, London, Walsingham, Cambridge, Ramsgate, and Norwich

An Invitation from Leonie Caldecott:

Dear Friends,

I would like to extend a warm invitation to you, to join me for our “England: Mary’s Dowry” pilgrimage.

Wilton-DyptichThe tradition of referring to my country as Our Lady’s Dowry goes back to medieval times, specifically the reign of Richard II (1377-1399) and the prayer he made to Our Lady of Pew at the time of the Peasants’ Revolt. The dowry tradition is associated with placing England under Our Lady’s special protection, consecrating the country to her by right, as the Bride of the Holy Spirit. The famous Wilton Dyptich (photo right), now in the National Gallery, depicts King Richard enacting this spiritual “exchange.” But it is as relevant today as it ever was.

LeonieWhat is a dowry if not the riches that a woman brings to her husband? What are the riches of the Church, in a particular place, if not her saints? We shall be tracing the history of the British Church through these “living stones” on fire with the love of God, as we travel from the Carmelite Shrine of Our Lady in Aylesford, moving on to Canterbury and Ramsgate, London and Walsingham, “England’s Nazareth,” where we will celebrate the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin on September 8th. Our final evening will be in Norwich, home of that great English mystic Mother Julian, whose writings have brought comfort and strength to so many down the centuries.

We have worked hard to create a unique and special nine days. I hope you will enjoy every aspect of your time with us, from places of great spiritual and historical resonance, to the people we shall meet, all of whom are examples of how the Church is still thriving in my country, in spite of centuries of persecution and obscurity. I look forward to meeting you and sharing this beautiful Marian journey with you!

— Leonie Caldecott
“Inside the Vatican Pilgrimages is collaborating with our friend in England, Leonie Caldecott on this pilgrimage. Leonie is the wife of the late Stratford Caldecott, with whom, in the 1990s, Leonie founded the Second Spring Centre for Faith and Culture and its journal. Leonie is the editor of the UK/Eire edition of Magnificat and running courses and events on Catholic culture in the UK. Leonie is also the UK editor of the online journal Humanum, published by the John Paul II Institute in Washington DC. Leonie will travel with us on the entire pilgrimage.”
London Town

Pilgrimage Overview

Travel with Leonie Caldecott, Deborah Tomlinson, and friends of Inside the Vatican magazine
England: Mary’s Dowry

Heathrow

  • Spend two (2) nights at the Premier Inn London Heathrow Hotel, located adjacent to the Heathrow airport

  • Enjoy a welcome orientation dinner led by English Scholar and Pilgrimage leader, Leonie Caldecott

Canterbury

  • Spend two (2) nights at the Cathedral Gate Hotel, located in the heart of Canterbury within steps of the towering Canterbury Cathedral

  • Attend Mass celebrated at the Carmelite Shrine at Aylesford and the Shrine of St. Augustine in Ramsgate

  • Tour the famous Canterbury Cathedral , the pilgrimage site where St. Thomas Becket was martyred

  • Dine with expert Dr. John Coverdale, and listen as he delivers a lecture on St. Augustine, Apostle to the English

  • Join our excursion to Ramsgate to tour the Shrine of St. Augustine

Cathedral Gate Hotel

Cathedral Gate Hotel

Canterbury Cathedral

Canterbury Cathedral

London

  • Spend three (3) nights at the Grange Wellington Hotel

  • Attend Mass celebrated in Westminster Cathedral

  • Explore Westminster Abbey

  • Meet our friend, Father Alexander Sherbrooke, pastor of St. Patrick’s Church in Soho Square, and experience modern Catholicism in England

  • Have lunch at the celebrated 40 Dean Street Restaurant in Soho

  • Visit Tyburn Convent and share afternoon tea with Mother Superior as we listen to her thoughts on the many English martyrs who were hung, drawn, and quartered near this convent

  • Tour the Crypt of the Tyburn Convent and pray by the resting places of the English Martyrs

  • Dine with friends of Inside the Vatican magazine at some our favorite pubs and restaurants in London.

Grange Wellington Hotel

Grange Wellington Hotel

Westminster Cathedral

Westminster Cathedral

Walsingham

  • Spend two (2) nights at the newly-refurbished Dowry Retreat House located in the city center.

  • Stroll through the quaint streets of this English town, which is known as “England’s Nazareth” due to its special devotion to Our Lady.

  • Journey to prestigious Cambridge and meet with our friend, Sr. Ann Catherine Swailes, who will speak to us about Mary and the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ

  • Attend Mass celebrated at the Chapel of Our Lady of Walsingham on the Feast of the Nativity of Mary

  • Pray at the “Slipper Chapel” where medieval pilgrims used to leave their shoes, journeying a “holy mile” to the original shrine

  • Wander the serene grounds of the medieval abbey ruins in the center of town

  • Visit the town of Norwich and learn about the 14th century anchoress, St. Julian of Norwich, and visit her shrine

  • Attend evening Mass celebrated at the Cathedral of Norwich

Dowry Retreat House

Dowry Retreat House

Slipper Chapel

Slipper Chapel

Cambridge
Additional Information

  • This pilgrimage is a Land Package Only.

  • A non-refundable deposit of $500.00 per participant is required at the time of booking. Please make all payments by check payable to Inside the Vatican. For pilgrims outside the U. S., if you prefer to wire funds, contact our office.

  • Signature Pilgrimage – Our August 31—September 10, 2017 Pilgrimage to England is part of our premier line of Signature Pilgrimages — limiting the number of pilgrims to 23 for a peaceful and personal experience, with a focus on encounters with the living stones of the church in England. In addition, Leonie Caldecott, Co-founder of the Second Spring Centre, and Deborah Tomlinson, Chief Operations Officer of Inside the Vatican magazine, will be traveling with the pilgrims for the entire pilgrimage.

Cost

  • Meals — Breakfast daily (9), seven (7) lunches, and eight (8) dinners included. (Note: Bottled water and house wine will be available with meals.)

  • Bus — Private, first-class motor coach bus and all group transfers are included.

  • Taxes and Fees — All local taxes, porter fees, and porter tips are included. Bus driver tips are not included.

  • Entrance Fees — All entrance fees are included.

  • Hotel Transfers — The first and final nights on this pilgrimage will be at the Premier Inn London Heathrow Hotel, which is located adjacent to London’s Heathrow Airport. Transfers to and from the hotel are included. Most flights arrive into London’s Heathrow Airport from the major U.S. gateway cities between 6:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. We will be at the airport to greet you and to assist you during this window of time.

  • Early Check In – After your overnight flight, you will be ready for a rest. We have requested and paid for your room to be available at 10:00 a.m. on your date of arrival, September 1, 2017.

Cathedral

Join Inside the Vatican for this once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage!

For more information or to reserve your spot, contact our US Office at 1-202-536-4555 or email us at [email protected]

We have many pilgrimages in 2017 –2017 Pilgrimages