Eight hundred people from all over the country made a pilgrimage to York to honour St Margaret Clitherow on her Feast Day, 26th March.

She was honoured with the first Sung Latin Mass to be celebrated at the High Altar of York Minster since the reign of Queen Mary Tudor, thanks to the, as ever, warm hospitality and welcome of the Dean and Chapter, two of whom joined the congregation and sat with them in choir.

The Mass, celebrated by Fr Stephen Maughan, was in the ‘Extraordinary Form’ – extraordinary to us, but the form of Mass St Margaret would have been familiar with.

Approximately 250 of the congregation joined clergy on a procession through the streets of York, past her house and the place of her execution, praying the Holy Rosary as they did. The procession ended at the Church of the English Martyrs, where Solemn Benediction was celebrated, accompanied beautifully, as at the Mass, by the Rudgate Singers.

Benediction was followed by veneration of the relic of St Margaret, kindly brought to the church by the Sisters of the Bar Convent. Refreshments were then kindly provided by the UCM. Based on the huge success of this first pilgrimage, it is hoped that this will become an annual event, sponsored by the LMS.