Morose Decay in England’s Nazareth: A Troubled Journey with the Walsingham Trust

Introduction

Welcome to an account of a deeply saddening and frustrating situation that has unfolded in the heart of Walsingham, England’s Nazareth. I am Alex Cooper, the founder of Smoke & Stone Pizza and Smoke & Samphire Catering. Our kitchen, nestled at the Back of Dowry House, has been our haven for the past few years. It has been a place where we've had the honour of serving thousands of pilgrims who make their way to Walsingham, a revered pilgrimage site for Anglicans and Catholics since 1061.

The Walsingham Trust (which until recently included the disgraced Bishop Robert Byrne), the entity that owns the building we operate from, has abruptly decided not to renew our licence agreement, leaving us perplexed and disheartened and causing severe disruption to a young man’s apprenticeship.

Serving the Community

Beyond catering to the faithful, we have also delighted holidaymakers with our culinary offerings. Moreover, we take immense pride in our commitment to the local community, serving them our Neapolitan pizzas on Friday and Saturday nights. We've also made a positive impact by providing employment opportunities. We've been fortunate enough to offer a promising young teenager an apprenticeship as a chef, allowing him to pursue his culinary dreams. Additionally, we've helped a local individual struggling with long-term unemployment and mental health issues back into work.

Over the years that we have lived in Walsingham, I have always been willing to help the Shrine if asked, despite usually facing some sort of disappointment. A few examples:

·      Last summer I cleaned out the toilets at the Shrine site by hand and helped paint them in an effort to mitigate against the dilapidated appearance of the site, I helped with the stock-take and inventory in the bookshop due to a lack of staff,

·         Provided pizza for the entire staff's Christmas party as a senior manager told me the Trustees did not think one could justify catering in such a manner (£500 for 40 guests) in this cost of living crisis and when he didn't know if the January 2023 wages could be paid. Quite how £500 was going to cover wages for 40 staff is beyond me – as is the scrooge-like attiude of the Trust,

·         Listed as the Designated Premises Supervisor i.e. the personal licence holder for Elmham House bar so that alcohol could be served during several large pilgrimages as this had not been arranged by management. The position also risks financial and custodial sentences should something have gone wrong,

·         Cash donations to the Shrine,

·         Dona digital collection plates. I worked with Dona in its start up days (2017) and as part of their business development we offered the Walsingham Trust the opportunity to have the devices for free with a 0.99% transaction fee just to cover our costs. Despite several follow-ups the senior manager never got back to me, eventually saying the Trustees had reservations. The collection plates were eventually installed in 2019 and the full price is being charged (£400 purchase/device, monthly subscription £15/device,  plus transaction fee of 1.69%). For a Trust that is in dire financial straits (Charities Commission info gives this away) it appears rather insane not to grab what was, essentially, a free option to collect donations,

·         The aforementioned senior manager asked me to lead a limited business development project in 2021 (raise 40k for the Walsingham Trust, market/sell 3 weekend hospitality packages, create a bus network to the Shrine). We initially agreed £30/hour rate on which the manager then backtracked, then went completely silent on my offer to not charge hourly but take a 10% commission on the completion of the project. Projections show Dowry House and Elmham House could turn a profit with the right plan in place.

 

These are but a few of my own experiences with the Trust. There are several other individuals in the community who have experienced similar disappointing interactions and I would be glad to introduce you to them.

 

The Communication Void

Several months ago, I was informed that the outgoing Bishop had expressed "concerns" about an external catering company operating in Dowry House's kitchen. Curiously, despite my repeated requests for clarification—three written inquiries—I received no response. The lack of communication from the bishop or any attempt to informally address these concerns was disheartening.

 

Seeking Answers 

Recently, I received devastating news through the new Shrine CEO that the Trustees of the Walsingham Trust have chosen not to renew our licence agreement beyond the 7th of July. The justification given for this decision is that they intend to convert Dowry House back into a retreat house, however, this has been tried previously without any success, largely due to the mismanagement of the Trust. .

Following a chance encounter with the new Bishop of East Anglia, Peter Collins, in early June, I briefly discussed my situation with him. Bishop Peter asked me to write to him, and I did so diligently. I wrote a comprehensive letter, providing evidence and expressing my concerns regarding the decision as well as some very worrying issues such as:

· Financial irresponsibility incl. the use of donations to fill a toxic black hole,

· No response from the diocesan safeguarding rep when I raised an issue with him,

· jeopardising the apprenticeship of a young man,

· jeopardising the employment of a man with severe mental health struggles and long-term unemployment,

· My business insurance was cancelled as a result of management’s inaction over a security concern that took 5 days to even be addressed,

· Knowledge and evidence of a senior member of management canvassing for complaints against the alleged perpetrator of alleged bullying – while there was an investigation already active on the matter. This itself is no doubt problematic in its own right, although I do think it is indicative of how HR issues in the Trust are dealt with: whoever was canvassing for complaints felt this was the only way to break through the crippling stonewalling and inertia,

· Total lack of empathy towards those who have been impacted by the inaction and callous behaviour of management & Trustees,

· Rejection of any offer to help the National Catholic Shrine by a series of professionals who live locally.

Regrettably, I have not received any communication from Bishop Peter, save for a single message from his PA, a week after my initial email, which offered no substantial response. Even my warning of this blog post in a second follow-up email was ignored.

Hoping for change under the new Bishop's leadership, I find myself disappointed. The issues of communication that plagued the Diocese during Bishop Alan's tenure and the Walsingham Trust's mismanagement appear to persist. My company’s point of contact with the Shrine was the then Director of Operations who suddenly disappeared from Walsingham: while I later heard there was a mutual agreement to part ways, I am not entirely convinced but be that as it may. Moreover, no effort has been made to fill the position - it is hard to believe that swathes of health and safety policies, building maintenance schedules and event plans are suddenly redundant. Whoever is picking up this work in the meantime must not need rest and sleep.

To add further insult to injury, a fellow business owner in Walsingham, who expressed her lament over Smoke & Stone's departure to the Bishop, received a prompt response from Bishop Peter himself. Meanwhile, I continue to wait for a reply. At least that email gives us some glimpse into the mind of the Trustees - they think a commercial pizza shop is not appropriate for a retreat house. I cannot think of any other “pizza place”, and associated catering company, that serves pilgrims, speaks to tourists about the spirituality of Walsingham and where the actual team prays together. What this episode certainly does show is a pastorally inadequate start to Bishop Peter’s episcopate.

If the Bishop or Trustees had bothered to meet with us they would have found out that pizza is just part of what we do. In fact, the pizza venture started as a project to raise money for the Shrine (10% of all sales are donated) and to keep our apprentice in work over the winter. Aside from our own private catering we did all the washing up and cleaning of Dowry House refectory after when the Community of Our Lady of Walsingham had been put on leave and subsequently left Walsingham. Does anyone blame them?

Raging incompetence & lack of stewardship

The incompetence of the Trust is further highlighted by taking a look at the North Norfolk Planning Portal; there you will find evidence of a commercial kitchen in place since 2006 with a renovation throughout Dowry House happening in 2017/2018 at a cost of £81000 PER MONTH, I am told! Until we used it, the kitchen had never been used other than to microwave (urgh) a few meals for pilgrims who could not make it up the road to Elmham House refectory where staff are already stretched. I mean, is it even appropriate to have a catering operation in Elmham House by the Bishop’s logic?

What is even the point of having spent money on a kitchen in Dowry House if not to cater for pilgrims? If it is the commercial aspect or “Disneyfication of Walsingham”, as I have heard whispered in a derogatory tone, one might as well shut down the Tea Room and Book Shop on the Shrine site. Why would pilgrims need to eat anyway? The Shrine itself is a remote site with a captive audience, and, God forbid, they might want to buy a memento for a loved one back home.

There is a more secular need for revenue which is proper maintenance of a grade II listed historic building, contrary to the Shrine site itself, which, I am told, can cover itself from donations three times over. Its has been the black hole of unloved accommodation that thousand of pilgrims’ pounds have been poured into. Judging by the exterior of Dowry House today one would not think it had had £800k face-lift just before the pandemic. Its physical decay and neglect mirror the Trust’s attitude - it is almost sinful to let some that was originally a gift to the Trust fall into such disrepair, given its heritage: Dowry House accommodated the sub-prior of Walsingham Abbey who did not bend to Henry VIII’s Act of Supremacy on the night before he was executed. It is also the only building in Catholic ownership that is closest to the original site of the Holy House constructed by Richeldis de Faverches under Our Blessed Mother’s instructions in 1061.

The main entrance at Dowry House.

It shows the Trustees have no understanding of the real world. Even religious organisations do not just operate in a spiritual vacuum, somehow miraculously inoculated against absurd notions such as “HR legislation” or “financial management”. There are a group of locals who have considerable, broad commercial and have a passion for the Church. We have offered our services to the Trust and have stonewalled every time - even a business plan to salvage Dowry House. The Trustees (none have any commercial experience), however, know better and so insidious clericalism and Catholic nepotism takes over - one can have a job at Shrine not because one is competent but a Catholic and someone friends with the right people in the Diocese. 

The Call for Accountability

The Trust's decision not to renew our Licence Agreement is not my primary concern, after all a landlord is of course able to take back control of a property, I get that. What I can expect from a Catholic organisation is that they behave in a, well, Catholic manner - morally upright, transparent with nothing to hide or be “hush hush” about. Look where that led the former trustee, Bishop Byrne.

 

I urge Trustees to demonstrate accountability and offer an apology for the woeful communication and mismanagement. Two religious orders (Franciscans and COLW) have left the town because they did not feel appreciated by the Trustees Our business and my employee’s livelihoods have been callously jeopardised. The mismanagement of the very serious aforementioned issues need immediate acknowledging and addressing for the sake of the thousands of pilgrims who come to Walsingham and donate to the Trust. One may claim the new Interim CEO has apologised to me for the decision and the way it had been made. 

While I appreciate it, the apology should not have been his to make, he has been brought in to clear up a mess that was entirely of the Trust’s making.  Anything less tarnishes the reputation of the Shrine in particular, and the Roman Catholic Church in England in general.

A Path to Restoration

The Trust must promptly address the abysmal communication, rectify their incompetence, and show respect to the local staff, community and nuanced sensitivities. By acknowledging their mistakes, engaging in meaningful dialogue, and embracing professional expertise, the Trust can begin to mend the damage caused. The Shrine's long-standing legacy to the Nation and its significance to the community necessitate a proactive and collaborative approach, setting a positive example for the Church in England.

As we navigate this distressing journey with the Walsingham Trust, we hold onto the hope that our concerns will be heard and addressed with real integrity and humility. The path to restoration lies in the willingness of the Trustees (including their Chair, Bishop Peter) to rectify their missteps, restore faith by its concrete actions, and foster an environment of open communication and accountability. At the core, a young man deserves to know why his apprenticeship has been thrown into uncertainty, another needs to know why his pathway back into work has been pointlessly curtailed.

The journey toward a renewed trust and a brighter future for Walsingham awaits - do the Trustees and the English episcopate want it though?