Pope Francis has given the Catholic National Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham in England a rare honour. The shrine – specifically the Slipper Chapel, the Chapel of Reconciliation and the Domain – has been granted minor basilica status. The announcement was made by Bishop Alan Hopes of East Anglia on the feast of the Holy Family on Sunday. Walsingham now joins only three other locations in Britain with minor basilica status – Corpus Christi in Manchester, which is no longer in use, Downside Abbey in Somerset and St Chad’s Cathedral in Birmingham. Walsingham is the first site in England to be given such status since 1941. According to tradition, the shrine at Walsingham, known as England’s Nazareth, dates back to the 11th century, when the Virgin Mary appeared in a vision to the lady of the manor, Richeldis de Faverches, who prayed that she might undertake some special work in honour of Our Lady. In response, the Virgin Mary led her in spirit to Nazareth, showed her the house where the Annunciation occurred, and asked her to build a replica in Walsingham to serve as a perpetual memorial. Mgr John Armitage, a rector of the Shrine of Our Lady, said: “This is wonderful news because it represents so much of what has been happening in the shrine for so long. It’s a recognition by the Holy Father of the long history of this shrine. “It’s also a recognition of the remarkable devotion, particularly of the people who work here, the volunteers and all the loyal pilgrims who come from so far, for so often and from such great distances.” Many minor basilicas are the sites of pilgrimages. The Rt Rev Graham James, Anglican Bishop of Norwich, said: “In a BBC survey nine years ago Walsingham was given the accolade of being England’s most spiritual place. Now the Pope has added to the honour in which Walsingham is held. Anglicans as well as Roman Catholics come to Walsingham in big numbers and the relationship between the two shrines is close and supportive. “I came first to Walsingham as a pilgrim in 1971, and I hope the new status the Pope has granted Walsingham will encourage many more people to discover the spiritual treasures of England’s Nazareth.” Basilicas were originally Roman court buildings. The term was then applied to certain large churches with a nave and central aisle, though since the 18th century the architectural style has not been important.