Our Lady of Doncaster facts for kids
Our Lady of Doncaster is a special Marian shrine in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. A Marian shrine is a place where people honor Mary, the mother of Jesus. The first statue of Our Lady of Doncaster was destroyed a long time ago during the English Reformation. A new shrine was built in St Peter-in-Chains Church in Doncaster in 1973. People celebrate the feast day of Our Lady of Doncaster every year on June 4.
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The Carmelite Friars and the First Shrine
The first Shrine of Our Lady of Doncaster was part of a Carmelite friary. A friary is a home for friars, who are like monks. This Carmelite friary was built in Doncaster during the Middle Ages. It was started by John Nicbrother and Richard le Ewere around 1350. They wanted to build a church to honor St Mary.
The friary in Doncaster became very important. This was probably because it was on the Great North Road. This road was a main route from London to Scotland. Doncaster was a good place for travelers to stop. Many important people visited the shrine. King Henry VII visited after his coronation. His daughter, Margaret Tudor, also stopped there on her way to become Queen of Scotland. Other royal visitors included Henry IV and Edward IV. In the Middle Ages, this shrine was the most important place to honor Our Lady in Yorkshire.
Special Gifts to the Shrine
Many people gave gifts to the shrine to show their faith. These gifts were often very personal or valuable.
One interesting gift came from Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers. Before he died in 1483, he gave his hair-shirt to Our Lady of Doncaster. A hair-shirt was a rough shirt worn for penance, which means showing sorrow for sins.
In 1449, Constance Bigod left her fancy belt, made with silver and gold, to the shrine. People also left money for wax candles to burn during Mass. In 1506, Katherine Hastings left her "tawny chamlett gown." This rich material was likely used to make special clothes for the statue of Our Lady.
People also left other personal items. Alice West gave her "best bedes," which were like rosary beads. For Princess Margaret Tudor's visit, John Twisilton gave a silver-gilt crown. These gifts show how much people cared about the shrine.
The Miracle of Robert Leche
Just before the Reformation, in 1524, a famous miracle happened involving Robert Leche and his family. They were saved from drowning after praying to Our Lady of Doncaster.
Here is what happened: William Nicholson was crossing the River Don with a wagon, oxen, and horses. Robert Leche, his wife, and their two young children were in the wagon. The weather was bad with wind and rain. Suddenly, the wagon was swept downstream and flipped over!
Everyone in the wagon cried out to God and Our Blessed Lady of Doncaster. One by one, they were saved. Robert Leche's wife was carried far downstream, with the wagon rolling over and over. People on the riverbank knelt and prayed for her. She was saved too! She shouted that Our Lady of Doncaster had saved her.
To prove this miracle, William Nicholson, Robert Leche, his wife, and children went to Our Lady of Doncaster's shrine. They told their story and swore it was true. Many people were there to hear about this amazing event.
The Shrine's Destruction
During a time of big changes in England called the Pilgrimage of Grace, the Carmelite friary was used by important lords. Later, in 1538, the friary was closed down. This was part of the Dissolution of the monasteries, when King Henry VIII closed many religious houses.
The statue of Our Lady of Doncaster was taken away before the friary was officially closed. We don't know exactly what happened to it. However, other famous statues of Our Lady from places like Walsingham and Ipswich were brought to London and burned. A bishop named Hugh Latimer even mentioned Our Lady of Doncaster in a letter. He said she and other statues would "make a jolly muster in Smithfield" and "would not be all day in burning." This suggests the statue was likely destroyed.
St Peter-in-Chains Church
A new Catholic church in Doncaster, called St Peter-in-Chains, opened in 1855. A new shrine to Our Lady of Doncaster was created there in 1868. A company in London made the new statue.
The church had a beautiful stone carving above its main door. It showed Our Blessed Lady holding Jesus, with St Peter and St Charles Borromeo on each side. This carving was very detailed and lovely.
Interest in Our Lady of Doncaster grew again, especially in 1954. The Bishop of Leeds, John Carmel Heenan, even wrote a special prayer for Our Lady of Doncaster.
Our Lady of Doncaster Today
A brand new St Peter-in-Chains Church was opened in 1973. The shrine was moved to this new church. Today, the statue of Our Lady of Doncaster stands in a round chapel inside the church. This chapel has beautiful stained glass windows showing scenes like the Annunciation (when Mary was told she would have Jesus) and the Nativity (the birth of Jesus).
Around the church garden, there are "Stations of the Cross." Each station has a small piece of stone from a religious building that was destroyed during the Reformation. The new church itself is shaped like an octagon.
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