Worshippers, including a good representation from St Mary Magdalen parish, marked the 20th anniversary of the restoration of the shrine to Our Lady of Grace in Ipswich with a thanksgiving service on March 26th.
The original shrine had its first recorded mention in 1152 and in its time was almost as important as Walsingham. Princess Elizabeth, the daughter of Edward I, was married in its chapel in 1297. Between 1517 and 1522 the shrine was visited by Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragon, Sir Thomas More and Cardinal Wolsey, who was born in Ipswich. The shrine was destroyed during the Reformation and its statue sent to London in 1538 to be burnt. However, legend has it that the statue found its way to Nettuno, about 30 miles south of Rome.
A meeting took place of Anglicans and Catholics in Ipswich in 1977 to discuss the possible restoration of the shrine that led to the setting up of the Guild of Our Lady of Grace. In 2002 a replica statue, carved by Robert Mellamphy, was installed in the Anglican church of St Mary at the Elms, a short distance from the site of the original shrine.
You can read the full article here on the Diocesan web site.
