St Joseph Shrine In The High Peak

This page and group https://www.facebook.com/groups/guardiansofstjosephshrine comes about through the vision of Matthew Benedict Newton to make this shrine more known after he himself experienced great healing peace in this place. Although the shrine appears to be well regarded and respected by pilgrims and visitors, the more eyes and ears keeping watch over this sacred space to guard against sacr

ilege and wanton criminal damage the better. Please press the "Learn More" button link to a fantastic website celebrating the Goyt Valley and landing on a page of historical information about the shrine. I think it must be what the Celts call a "Thin Place." Here's a description from Kathy Laity of the website "Celtic Glory"

"The Celtic saints often referred to somewhere as a 'thin place'. This referred to when the Spiritual atmosphere of a location made it easy to connect with God, almost as though there is no barrier between heaven and earth. We might refer to such a place as a Spiritual portal, or an ancient well. These places still exist and people hungry to encounter the living God will actively seek them out. We might call it a pilgrimage and some places are obvious like Iona in Scotland or Lindisfarne (Holy Island) in Northumberland. However, there are many ancient portals which are hidden and waiting to be discovered. Places where the air is still 'thin' and God can be easily found. These places are often where Christians in previous centuries worshipped and prayed, creating a portal like at Bethel, where angels ascend and descend between heaven and earth." https://www.celticglory.com/thin-place

Matthew say's this:

"St Joseph, a humble worker who by Divine providence has been granted a little known shrine in a far off land pray for us. Bless the Goyt and Mersey rivers and all it's inhabitants that live along their course. Rivers are streams of life. Every life is a river, sometimes it flows smooth and other times it can be rapid but it's a life giving message that stays the same so just hold on and weather the ride. Visit the Shrine and pray for your loved ones. God put it there for a purpose. High up and out of a place. If like me you have found comfort from this Holy ground then please share your stories. God always works in strange places that's His nature. And I'll leave you with this from Kathy Laity again and Celtic Glory. "Solitude with God

At heart
I am one
Who seeks the silent
The solitary
The open expanses
Of uplands and moors
Of mountains and skies
Of river banks
And wooded valleys
Where sounds of men
Are muted or silenced
And creation calls
In the fullness of God’s glory
Magnifying the artistic hand
That first fashioned it
Here I walk often
Alone with God
And my dog
Praying
Meditating
Singing
Glorying in the beauty
Minute or vast
That points to the One
Who has captured my heart
For over 40 years
And in these places of solitude
Often by-passed or forgotten
In today’s frenetic age
Extraordinary things happen
Perhaps I’ll tell you about them
Perhaps I’ll savour some and hold them to my heart
I love to pray in forgotten places
Or when others have left and
The buildings return to silent murmur
Of wind or age
I find myself kneeling
Worshipping in heart and spirit
Crying out to the One I love
Sometimes He summons me
To these places
Sometimes I seek them out
Sometimes I just stumble into them
And extraordinary things happen
Am I hesitant in telling you? Perhaps I am." https://www.celticglory.com/spiritual/story-celtic-glory-kathy-laity