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Shrine of Our Lady of Hal
The catholic church in Camden Town is the site for the English shrine to Our Lady of Hal.
Hal (Halle) is a small town in Belgium. The veneration of Our Lady of Hal began when in 1267 St. Elizabeth of Hungary presented her daughter Sophia, Duchess of Brabant (Belgium) with a statue of Our Lady.
This was afterwards placed in the church of St. Martin, at Hal, where it is still greatly honoured.
King Edward III of England and his royal family, Mary Queen of Scots, and her court, Katherine of Aragon, Arthur, Prince of Wales, Lady Morgan and St. Oliver Plunkett made pilgrimages to Hal. King Henry VIII presented the shrine of Our Lady of Hal with a large silver monstrance, still used there today. The town was said to be saved through the intercession of Our Lady. In 1485 and 1580, the cannon smoke turned her into a black virgin in the process.
The replica of the statue in this church is made from a dark fruit wood and is housed in the Hal Chapel.