The Blitz

This quite knowledgeable gentleman explained how Norwich came to be on Germany's hit list during the Blitz of 1942 and how the Julian chapel suffered almost complete destruction as a result.

Holy Mother of Wisdom

Holy Mother of Wisdom by Caroline Mackenzie in the Julian Shrine's gift shop and information center.

Cloth of Kindness

I think many of us could use a cloth of kindness today.

Bird Feeder?

This one most certainly puzzled me. Attached to a wall near the Julian Shrine, I can only imagine the cylinders are used to old various kinds of bird seed. But that still leaves me to question the purpose of that vertical slit.

All Shall Be Well

 

 

The Julian Shrine 

Norwich, England

Dame Julian

Paperplant

The Julian Shrine, Norwich

Hazelnut

 

The Julian Shrine

Norwich, England

Chapel Votive

Sometimes it's the smallest details that inspire. Like this votive candle. Such a common thing to see in a chapel. But to cradle it in such a beautifully wrought hanger yields something truly special. I can't help but think that Julian herself would have been most pleased.

Julian Madonna & Child

 

 

The Julian Shrine

Norwich, England

Enough

 

The Julian Shrine 

Norwich, England

Cell

 

 

"In 14th century Norwich a young woman fell under a life-threatening illness, during which she experienced a series of extraordinary visions. These revelations transformed her life, and after a miraculous recovery she took vows to live as an anchoress, locking herself away in a small cell attached to a church in Norwich" -- The Julian Shrine

Ecce

 

 

I'm always interested in the use of candles, especially in sacred spaces, such as here in the St. Julian Chapel in Norwich. If I saw these correctly, they're shorter, say 6", candles mounted atop tapered holders. According to some sources, the six candles placed on the altar in the traditional Latin Mass represent the ancient Jewish symbol, the Menorah, but with the seventh candle, the central candle, being replaced by the sacrifice of Christ.

Chapel

 

 

St. Julian's Chapel in Norwich is open each day of the week for worshippers and visitors as a place of prayer. The Mass is held on Sunday mornings.

 

 

St.Julian's Font

 

 

The octagonal baptismal font in the St. Julian's Chapel in Norwich, according to Wikipedia, is "a replacement for the original one, which was lost when the church was bombed. The current font was moved from the now redundant All Saints' Church, Norwich in 1977. It has eight standing figures representing the Apostles, Saint Michael the Archangel, Saint George, and two other saints."

 

St. Julian's

 

"St Julian's is a Grade I listed parish church in the Church of England in Norwich, England. It is part of the Diocese of Norwich. During the Middle Ages, when the city was prosperous and possibly the second largest city in medieval England, the anchoress Julian of Norwich lived in a cell attached to the church. The cell was demolished during the 1530s.

Due to a lack of funds, the church slowly became dilapidated during the 18th century. It underwent a restoration after one side of the building collapsed in 1845. The tower, also in danger of collapsing, was repaired in 1934. In June 1942, St Julian's received a direct hit during the Norwich Blitz. The only one of the four churches destroyed in Norwich during World War II that was rebuilt, it reopened in 1953." -- Wikipedia

Signs

So, while in Norwich, I took a few moments to trundle on over to visit the Julian Centre. Genuinely appreciated the city's street signs and maps. As an added bonus, I even found a SIM card tool lying on the street nearby, which I later found quite necessary to remove the card I used while in England and to reinsert my old card once back here in the U.S. :-)

Paddington Bear

Apparently, Paddington Bear is all the rage in England. I spotted this one late one night through the window of a Norwich shop.

Cloister

 

 In the days of the Benedictine Priory at Norwich Cathedral, the vaulted walkways of the cloister linked the church, chapter house and the original library, hostry (lodging house) and refectory. Today they connect the 900-year-old cathedral with the modern-day refectory, hostry and library.

Mechanical Hand

So one of the unique features of the organ at Norwich Cathedral, historically, is that there was no direct means of communication between the organist and choir director. So a mechanical hand was installed to let the director know at what tempo the organist would be playing a particular piece. The hand is still there, but, of course, the organist now can at least see the director by way of a video screen.