Our Lady of Grace, Ipswich

In the Italian town of Nettuno there is a Church with a beautiful statue of Mary. The little saint Maria Gorretti used to visit the Church and often prayed to Mary befofe this statue. We now know that this was the orginal statue of Our Lady of Grace, Ipswich. It had been saved from Thomas Cromwell the iconoclast by being shipped to safety. Where its final destination was meant to be is not known but the ship carrying it was blown by a storm into Nettuno and could not leave because of succeeding storms until they understood the statue was meant for that town. The Church of Our Lady of Grace, Ipswich, was once a very important shrine. It was often a stopping place on the way to Wlasingham. Before the dissolution it is said there were 39 Curches in Ipswich and 4 religious foundations. The Church of Our Lady of Grace was the most important and was second only in importance in England to Our Lady of Walsingham. Again we know that St Thomas More, Queen Catherine of Aragon, and Edward 1 visited with his daughter Elizabeth for her marriage there. When the link between Nettuno and Ipswich was discovered there were pilgrims from Ipswich who went to Italy and were well received. A new statue has been sculptured and we hope it will increase devotion to Our Blessed Mother. Our Lady of Ipswich pray for us.