Incola ego sum in terra

Incola ego sum in terra

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Incola ego sum in terra
Incola ego sum in terra
Pilgrimage to Lichfield Cathedral - Part 5

Pilgrimage to Lichfield Cathedral - Part 5

The Lady Chapel and some more medieval paintings

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A Catholic Pilgrim
Mar 26, 2025
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Incola ego sum in terra
Incola ego sum in terra
Pilgrimage to Lichfield Cathedral - Part 5
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This is the second and final part of my pilgrimage to the shrine of St Chad at Lichfield Cathedral. You can find the earlier part here.

If you stand at St Chad’s shrine and look towards the east end of the Cathedral, this statue of Our Lady is on your right. It is probably the loveliest statue of her I have seen; very medieval in presentation and beautifully painted. The guidebook says it is believed to be the work of Sir Ninian Comper, who produced much marvellous art for churches up and down the land and died in 1960. Why they didn’t keep a record of who provided it, I don’t know.

It is often the case that the chapel to Our Lady is situated immediately behind the High Altar, with any other shrine tending to be directly behind (or sometimes above) that altar, so here the siting is perfectly appropriate and in line with the history of this church.

This statue and the new shrine of St Chad show how far the Catholic elements of the Anglican church have progressed here; I am sure that the protestants of the 16th and 17th centuries are rolling in their graves in disgust, but it just shows that you cannot suppress these inclinations to reverence and veneration of the saints for ever. The candle pricket in front of this statue, pleasingly traditional, like all of them, is well tended and well visited.

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