Banneux-ND GB History

THE HISTORY OF BANNEUX ND GB

During the last few days of January 1953, a parishioner of St. Anthony of Padua Edgware, HA8 9AN, England, became ill. At the time he was on his National Service in the army, near Aldershot, Hants, England. The Medical Authorities were unsure of his illness - a symptom of which was walking from side-to-side like a sailor on dry land for the first time after years at sea.

On awakening one morning the patient found that he was unable to stand on his left foot. For the rest of that day he was confined to his bed.

The next morning both legs were very stiff and he was unable to stand upright unless assisted by two people. An ambulance was summoned and he was immediately transferred to a local isolation hospital. The paralysis was diagnosed as "Acute Transverse Myelitis".

On being informed of the very serious nature of her eldest son's illness (he was given seven days to live), the patient's mother spoke to the Rev Father J F Speltz, who was a curate at St Anthony's Church. The immediate response was to bring 'Water' from the shrine of Banneux to the hospital.

In the days, weeks and months that followed, the Banneux Water was drunk daily as well as a recitation of a "hail Mary" to Our Lady of Banneux.

Some nine weeks later the patent ( in the presence of his Harley Street consultant), walked his first 10-12 steps; from then on the patient's balance and walking rapidly improved and in July 1953 he was discharged from the hospital and National Service an returned home to his mother, two younger brothers and sister.

A short time later the Rev Father J F Speltz proposed that, in view of the miraculous recovery from such a very serious illness, a pilgrimage be made to the shrine of Our Lady of Banneux in Belgium as soon as the patient felt able to undertake the journey. Thus during the first week in August 1953 the first pilgrimage from England to Our Lady's shrine at Banneux in Belgium took place, led by Father J F Speltz with ten pilgrims.

In 1954 the English Secretariat was founded at 42 Methuen Road, Edgware. The pilgrimage that year numbered 42 people and was in Banneux for the Feast of the Assumption.

In 1955 there were five pilgrimages to the shrine, one in May; three in August and one in September.

During the August pilgrimage (on the 15^th, the feast of the Assumption), Fr Speltz was admitted into the "Family of the Hospitalité" at the end of his three-year working with the sick. He was the first English pilgrim to receive this great honour.

In 1956 the first pilgrimage of the year was from Devon and was led by Fr J Horsfield; others followed in August and September.

Due to a great deal of assistance from Madame Wautier, who was the leader of the August. (Assumption) Triduum, the first "Sick" pilgrimage from England took place. Since then our "Sick Pilgrims" group has travelled to Banneux each year for the 15^th August Triduum.

Shrine to Our Lady of Walsingham

To commemorate 50 years of our pilgrimages to the Virgin of the Poor Shrine in Banneux and 70 years since the apparitions in 1933, we erected this shrine to Our Lady of Walsingham. This was blessed on 13th August 2003.

" I would like a little Chapel"

This page was last updated on 24/03/11 12:30:12 by Tony Berkeley