15th June : Our Lady Of The Taper
15th June
Our Lady Of The Taper
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The statue of Our Lady of the Taper was one reason England was known as Mary’s Dowry. It was a simple little statue of Our Lady, her Son on her arm, a burning taper in her other hand.
The statue was found on the Welsh coast, standing near the sea. Several times it was brought into Christ Church, Cardigan, but always it was mysteriously returned to the seashore. There a special chapel was built for it, and the taper continued to burn for many years. The shrine is known to have been a place of pilgrimage long before the twelfth century.
The infamous Cromwell destroyed the ancient statue, and it was all but forgotten. The present Bishop of Milnevia, however, has asked that the shrine be restored. He is allowing the only known description of Our Lady of the Taper, written by an Anglican, the Rev. Silas M. Harris, to be distributed in the diocese.
