Some of you enjoyed a film made by my son about the Dome of Home church in the Wirral. Here’s another he has made, this time about the oldest site of continuous Christian pilgrimage in Great Britain, St Winefride’s Well.
Saint Winifred’s* feast day was on Sunday, and the film contains footage of this year’s feast day Mass at the Well, which was celebrated by Bishop Peter Brignall of the Wrexham Diocese.
(*There is some ambiguity as to the spelling of the Saint’s name, but generally it is spelt differently from the name given to the Well.)
Catholicism Pure & Simple 
Absolutely beautiful, Maryla! You really do have a very talented son.
I’m hoping to visit this lovely shrine with my sister, and a friend from Chartres, in the early Autumn, and this lovely little film of this holy place is making me all the more eager to go!
LikeLike
Thank you, dear Kathleen. I will pass your kind comment on to Philip.
I’m sure you’ll enjoy your visit to the shrine. You might want to combine it with a trip to the Franciscan friary in nearby Pantasaph – a bit of a haven with a shrine to Padre Pio and hill-walk stations of the cross…
LikeLike
Its a beautiful film Its also close to Teresa Higginsons grave is in Neston
http://www.teresahigginson.com/
LikeLike
You may find that the pilgrimage to Iona is the oldest Christian pilgrim way in Great Britain.
LikeLike
You may be right, Tiddles. The claim about St Winefride’s Well is made here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Winefride's_Well
But I won’t argue!
LikeLike
Thanks mm. There is an unfortunate tendency among the English to make remarkable claims which are unfounded. If they had claimed this for England and not Great Britain, they would get away with it. However GB (which only came into existence in 1603), is not England.
In these islands the English were late to Christianity. And it shows.
I saw the wiki reference and it is wrong by centuries.
LikeLike
Top quality movie! Was your son commissioned to make it, or was it just a personal project?
LikeLike
mm! the plot thickens! The film does not make the claim for Gt Britain as advertised, but the British Isles. So it is definitely wrong. A pity that they dont know a single thing about their history, politics and religion.
There is no awareness of many earlier Christian sites and pilgrimage. Ireland brought Christianity to these islands so early on. Winifrede is a Winnie come lately.
LikeLike
Actually Tiddles, the earliest Christian object found in Wales is a vessel with the ancient Christian symbol the Chi-Rho, dated 375 AD and found in the Roman town of Caerwent.
Christianity arrived in Wales with the Romans.
The Irish saints were responsible for a reinvigoration of the Faith in Britain much later.
LikeLike
Thanks Mr Burrito
But the issue is of pilgrimage not Christian objects,
LikeLike
Tiddles, I think the point that the film (and the site) actually make, is not that St Winefride’s is the oldest site of pilgrimage, rather that it is the oldest site of *continuous* pilgrimage in the British Isles. During the Reformation, Iona seemed to reduce in significance quite dramatically (e.g. the history of Iona’s monastic life is documented here: tinyurl.com/nr6dwcv) . With the Well, however, due to the connection mentioned in the film between Henry VIII and his grandmother (who built the chapel), there may have been some dispensation given to visiting the well – briefly mentioned here: tinyurl.com/o799mva
Having said that, with such a long history we obviously can’t be certain of anything. It may well be that Iona has indeed been continuously visited by pilgrims, but we probably can’t prove anything either way.
Dan: my son made it as a very low-budget personal project, but he is hoping to make films more regularly, and possibly as a career.
LikeLike
mmvc,
(Long time no chat!) I took the family to Holywell for the day in 2006. Mass was presided by CMO’C.
St Winefride realising that all the pilgrims wouldn’t be able to bathe in her well sent an almighty cloudburst instead!
A very memorable day indeed. St Winefride should be made the patron of umbrella organisations 😉
LikeLike
Time to make another pilgrimage perhaps, BB? Who knows, you might be blessed with some sunshine. But take that brolly along just in case…
LikeLike
Pingback: Film about St Winefride’s Well | 1catholicsalmon
Reblogged this on 1catholicsalmon and commented:
A place of pilgrimage in England.
LikeLike