Our Lady of Basingstoke: A Place of Pilgrimage.

In his book `The Making of Basingstoke `Eric Stokes writes "Henry VIII`s break with RomBut e appears to have had little impact on the religious life of the people of Basingstoke.  In August 1938, Thomas Cromwell, Lord Privy Seal, ordered Lord Sandys to have an `idolatrous` image removed from St Michael`s AlChurch.   It was to be transported to London pending its destruction.  Although the offending figure was one that appeared to have been greatly venerated by the people there is no record of anything untoward having happened to disturb the life of the ordinary citizen".  
Well that is perfectly straight forward isn`t it?  Well there was the hanging, drawing and quartering of Blessed Hugh Farringdon and his monks in Reading.  You bet that when the Catholic priest was reoed the poor people were helpless to do or say anything.  But let us stop fighting the Reformation again.  Basingstoke is now in the same position   as Walsingham was when a barn caused a curious lady to find the truth and discover the whole history of Our Lady of Walsingham.   We know nothing about this statue nor just how venerated it was.  Perhaps one day when our young Catholics have grown up and replaced the modernist heretics there will be a revival of the place of Mary both in the life of Jesus and as our Mother.   

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