The second installment of our Day Pilgrimage season saw a coach full of Oratory Pilgrims travel to Farnborough Abbey for a day filled with prayer, monastic shopping, architectural wonders, and more.
The day began with Holy Mass in the beautifully restored Abbey Church, dedicated to St. Michael.
The church was established by Empress Eugenie in 1881 as a mausoleum for her husband, Emperor Napoleon III, and their son, Prince Louis Napoleon. Empress Eugenie herself was later interred alongside them in the Imperial Crypt in 1920.
The Abbey Church is a stunning blend of French Gothic and Romanesque architecture, featuring three Romanesque altars gifted by the Mill Hill Missionaries. It also houses England’s National Shrine to St. Joseph.
After Mass, the pilgrims visited the Monastic Shop, which offers a variety of unique items, including monastic soaps, balms, books, handmade rosaries, oversized courgettes (marrows), and even a freezer stocked with lamb! Lunch was enjoyed in the picturesque Lodge overlooking the Abbey Farm. While lamb wasn’t on the menu, packed lunches sufficed.
In the afternoon, Dom Gregory led the pilgrims on an engaging and informative tour of the Abbey Church and Imperial Crypt. The tour combined fascinating historical insights, architectural highlights, and Benedictine spirituality, leaving the pilgrims enriched and inspired.
Here are some photos from the day!
