Apart from carrying on our individual discernment journeys, part of the work of the initial Cornerstone community was to discern whether a new religious community was required to respond to certain needs in the Church and in the world of today.

We recognised that many young people where unsupported in their vocational journeys and often tried satisfying the desire for religious life by joining communities abroad. Camilla herself had tried this (see her story) and realised that this is not always the answer to the search for meaning. Ideas of a homegrown community continued to come to her mind. The first thoughts she had already jotted down on the 13th October of 1999…

'At the same time any new community I would like to see centred on God, on the Word of God, on Christ's presence in the Eucharist. We need communities of mature women who live by faith, who are 'experts in humanity', who are passionately in love with God, with each other and with humanity. Women strong in faith because they've known the struggle of integrating within themselves the different tensions which each person carries within. Women strong in faith who know what compassion and mercy mean because they have encountered within themselves the intrinsic poverty of the human condition, and hence don't put heavy burdens on the shoulders of those they meet. Women strong in faith because they know that the call to change for the better, the call to conversion, is addressed first of all to themselves rather than to others. Then they'll be able to effect change for the better around themselves just by BEING, not relying on what they do, knowing that only HE can bring about true and lasting change in a person's heart. Women who love the Church and are ready to give their lives for the Truth she teaches, despite all the weaknesses they experience in themselves or difficulties they face externally. Women who, in faith, are willing to take risks to proclaim the Truth but with gentleness because they know that they, for first, often fall short of the ideals reached for. It is God who is in control and, thank heavens, He knows how to turn EVERYTHING into good for those who love Him and try to serve Him.'

In Rome to receive the approval of the Statutes of the Community

Of course, the above quote would now read 'people' instead of 'women' as we hope to have a community of brothers working alongside us one day. At the time it seemed all so ridiculous to Camilla who was aware of how easily she could deceive herself. Despite the encouragement of a couple of people to set up something, she knew she had to wait. If it was of God, a similar desire would manifest itself in other young women and the means would come. And DID THEY COME…. If God wants something he gets things going despite our resistances!

During the second and final year in Cornerstone she managed to write down some of her ideas for the statutes for the Community of Our Lady of Walsingham. Three other young women from the discernment community and the Vocations Group also felt drawn to the project and helped to 'fine-tune' this document. "What we dream alone remains alone, what we dream together becomes reality". It was sent to Rome in October 2003 and approved a month later by the necessary authorities. The decree of erection was granted by Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor in time for our foundation day, the Feast of the Epiphany, 6th January 2004.

Foundation Day - Mass in the Slipper Chapel at Walsingham

The Founding Mass was celebrated on that day by Fr John Armitage and Fr Noel Wynn in the Slipper Chapel at Walsingham with just the four of us and Mr Timothy McDonald who has since become a great friend of the community. In September 2004 we started to run Abbotswick, a House of Prayer just off the M25 in the Essex countryside. An important milestone was reached on the feast of the Annunciation in 2006 when Camilla and Gabriela, two of the founding group, took their first vows during a Mass celebrated by Bishop John Arnold in Westminster Cathedral. Some photos of these unforgettable days can be seen in the photo gallery.