PILGRIMS SURVIVE ENDURANCE TEST

The Second Walsingham Pilgrimage was a great and happy experience, and perhaps even better for the hardships endured along the way. We met very varied weather conditions perhaps as extreme as we have ever experienced on our walking pilgrimages. The first week was scorching hot. And then after thunder and lightning the rains came down and flooded first the fields, then the roads, and then the hall we were due to stay in at Roxwell. (Roxwell now joins Windsor and the New Forest on Buckfast 1 in the pilgrimage memories of deluges..) And then after a brief respite there were a couple of cold days of continuous rain! But the sun shone beautifully for our triumphant arrival into Walsingham. I will say no more here, but sufficient to whet the appetites of those not present to come and hear the whole glorious saga at the pilgrimage reunion!

WOODINGDEAN FOR THE REUNION

Fitzherbert School, Woodingdean, is where the pilgrims are to meet up for their reunion this year. Enclosed is an information sheet and application form. The writing on the map is a bit faint, but I hope you all find Fitzherbert School, Warren Road, Woodingdean nonetheless. From the centre of Brighton, find the Lewes Road, then up Elm Grove or Bear Road, over the downs, past the Race Course, into Warren Road, and Fitzherbert School is on the right hand side. Or let the 2, 12 or 22. bus do the job for you. The dates are 23rd to 25th October. Note the 25 hour day to let the pilgrims have a lie in! The Walsingham Video will be shown on Saturday evening. If you are bringing slides and need a projector please let Monica know. Do reply to .Monica McLauchlan as soon as you can, or at the latest by 15th October. (Unfortunately your pilgrim organiser won’t be there to welcome you to his late parish — this weekend falls right in the middle of my “summer” holiday!) .

PILGRIM WEDDINGS . .

Lots to report on under this heading this time! Pat Burke married David North on 6th, June at St Michael’s, Ashtead.

Gillian Horscroft (Sussex, Buckfast 2 and Evesham) is now Mrs Smith. The happy couple were wed at St. Francis de Sales, Wash Common, Newbury on 11th July.     They have set up home in South Wales

Michael O’Shea (Buckfast 1 & 2 and Sussex) married Teresa Ryan on 1st August at St Mary’s, South Wigston, Leicester.

Congratulations to them all!

Sean McQuillan is to marry Mary Lyons on Saturday 24th October.

SOUTH DOWNS WAY WALK

The South Downs Way sponsored walk over the May Bank Holiday weekend raised £650. On 13th September the cheque was presented personally to Father Robert Brett during Mass at Upper Warlingham, Surrey. He is currently “home” on leave From Kenya.

INTERMEDIATE TECHNOLOGY

Jo Doran (Canterbury, Buckfast 1, Sussex and Evesham) should have returned to England this month after her twelve month and 13,500 Km bike ride through South America, U.S.A., and Europe in aid of Intermediate Technology. And if you don’t know what Intermediate Technology is, do read “Small is Beautiful” by E. F. Schumacher. Briefly, he taught that the way to help the developing countries is to introduce small improvements which the local people can easily use, rather than deluging them with advanced western technology. How about a report for the next newsletter, Jo?

PILGRIM PRIESTS

Fr Keiron O’Brien has been appointed to West Byfleet. Fr Danny O’Callaghan is now school chaplain at St Bede’s, Redhill, a. shared Anglican/Catholic school. And we are still waiting to hear from Fr James Bisgrove.

BITS AND PIECES.

Charles Perrott (St Joan’s Pilgrimage and Evesham) has passed his final medical exams and is now a houseman at the Royal Free Hospital, Hampstead.

Also working there as Casualty Officer is Therese Shaw (Canterbury and Buckfast 1).

Karen and George Evans have been on holiday in the Savoy region of France.

Max Bath has moved back to Brighton.

Elaine Rawlins is now nursing at St Catherine’s Hospice in Crawley.

It was good to hear from “Polly” Pollington (Pilgrims Way and Walsingham 1) who is now an active and busy member of the Methold House Day Centre in Worthing.. There she runs raffles, and bring and buys, and helps serve lunches.

Harry Gallagher (Pilgrims Way Pilgrimage) has been retired for four years now!, and although he had to miss our pilgrimage to Walsingham he will he walking there this month with the Guild of Ransom. His young friend David Thompson who joined in the Pilgrimage Lake District holidays is now married and settled down, Harry says.

R.I.P.

We were sad to hear that Fr Hans Burgman’s mother died in January. May she enjoy the glory of God’s presence for all eternity. And after his heroic last pilgrimage to Walsingham, Snoopy died just one week later. The vet confirmed cancer of the lymph glands as the cause. Few dogs can have walked so many miles, climbed so many mountains, or had so much pastoral experience!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++           STOP PRESS +++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Fr James Bisgrove (see above)  has been appointed to the Cathedral Church of St David in Cardiff.

Chris Dobbe is planning a cycling pilgrimage next year to Santiago de Compostela, the greatest of all European pilgrimage shrines, it will take about a month, arriving on the feast of St James, 25th July.

And our own pilgrimage next summer will be a shorter one from Arundel to Canterbury in 10 days from 20th to 29th August 1988. The proposed route is Arundel - Worthing - Hassocks - Seaford - Eastbourne – Battle - Benenden - Charing - Canterbury. Book the dates now!