Day 2: Pulborough to Horsham

Pilgrims who can't get up in the morning have to face being deposited outside, which can be embarrassing when the hall fronts straight onto a main road, as in Pulborough.

The van is loaded, and the pilgrims await the off.

Following the ecumenical St Wilfrid's (Sussex) pilgrimage, and grappling with the pain of division, we celebrated a "split" Eucharist in Pulborough. The Liturgy of the Word for all of us was at St Mary's, after which the Catholics moved on to Ss Crispin & Crispinian, and the Eucharist proper was celebrated separately.

The non-Catholics then rejoined the Catholics for the Thanksgiving and blessing. (Such services had a mixed reception: for better or worse, they allowed everyone to receive Communion without having two full services or being totally separated; they highlighted the divisions, which was painful, but perhaps we needed to feel that pain.)

Before we went on our way, Jack was given the bumps - having a pilgrimage at an unusual time exposes other people to the risk of a birthday during the pilgrimage!

The morning's walk brought us to the Three Crowns at Wisborough Green for lunch.

After which we prayed at St Peter Ad Vincula church (which has a 12th Century mural of St James and pilgrims going to Compostela).

Mid-afternoon there was a stream to be crossed, but, until a couple of weeks before the pilgrimage, no bridge. Patrick and Mike spent a busy day building the Mole Relic Bridge (Mike had a mascot, a soft-toy Mole called Montmorency). So when the pilgrims reached the stream, they crossed in style!

This brought us to St Nicholas at Itchingfield.

Where the vicar welcomed us

We then visited  the Priest's House before continuing our walk

Finally we walked into Horsham and St John's Church Hall.