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RETURNING TO GLASTONBURY
or Pilgrim Newsletter No 38, February 1991
PLANS FOR GLASTONBURY
With this newsletter you will
find several copies of the leaflet advertising next summer’s pilgrimage. As
always, past pilgrims are always the best advertisements for future
pilgrimages, so the extra copies are for passing on to your friends. If you
can distribute more just ask! The literature is going out a little later than
usual because we have had great difficulty in getting accommodation,
especially in the New Forest area. But now we have found somewhere to stay all
along the route, and ironically the New Forest accommodation is particularly
good, two new village halls with showers!
DO YOU REMEMBER GLASTONBURY ONE?
It was back in 1978 that we
first walked to Glastonbury, and it was a memorable journey. The picture
of us setting out from Arundel Cathedral for Glastonbury was used to
illustrate the page on walking pilgrimages in "The First Twenty Five
Years" the history of our Diocese so far, published last year. We were
greeted at Emsworth to the Portsmouth Diocese by a banner waving Brendan Walls
and family. We had a specially chartered boat to take us from South Parade
Pier to Ryde, where the old school was in a state of disrepair. Father Peter
Madden unblocked all the loos and we had to order 75 suppers from the local
fish and chip shop. We built sand castles and went dancing on the rest day at
Ventnor. Bishop Cormac visited us in the evening at Brockenhurst, where it was
fish and chips in paper again, and the Bishop's had gone cold! Our boots were
stolen at Salisbury. We went to see Stonehenge before they put up all
the barriers. Rough cider was imbibed at Castle Cary. Bob Garrard read
Winnie the Pooh to us each night, but with some difficulty at CC because of
the RC! Sr Teresa and Sr Elizabeth drove the St Peter's
school, Leatherhead, mini-bus for
us, and had an argument with
an army vehicle also at CC but not because of the RC. We gathered at the foot
of Glastonbury Tor and ascended the steep slope holding hands and therefore
with considerable difficulty. After the usual celebration day in Glastonbury,
we visited Wells Cathedral on the way home and sang Jerusalem there and got
told off. Lots of happy memories for lots of wonderful people whose
names are still connected with the pilgrimages, and perhaps a few of them will
make a second journey to Glastonbury with us this summer.
PLANS FOR GLASTONBURY TWO
This year we are still
including the crazy idea of going via the Isle of Wight, crossing over from
Portsmouth to Ryde and returning from Yarmouth to Lymington. Things have
changed and we have had to find different accommodation everywhere except at
Ventnor. There we are staying in the same school and the same
parish priest remembers us well. But they have pulled down the dance hall! An ex Student Cross chaplain is now
Parish Priest in Salisbury, so I am sure we will not have our boots stolen
again! The overnight at Downside Abbey should be interesting, and we hope a
visit to Longleat Park and Wells Cathedral will be part of the outward route.
We are missing out Stonehenge this time, now that they have fenced it off!
There was a special magic about our first Glastonbury Pilgrimage and we look
forward to an equally special pilgrimage this year. But for St Richard’s Two
pilgrims don’t forget that the weather may not be so good as last year! Get
your walking boots well walked in, and your rain-gear sorted out!
ABOUT GLASTONBURY
There is something magical
about the conical hill, visible for many miles, known as Glastonbury Tor, and
it has been a religious centre since long before Christian times. There is a
legend that the Holy Family came to Glastonbury for part of their exile from
Palestine after the Flight into Egypt. There is another legend that Joseph of
Arimathea settled in Glastonbury and that his staff was planted in the ground
and flowered as the Glastonbury Thorn. It is also legendary that the Holy
Grail, the chalice that was used by Christ at the Last Supper, was buried at
Glastonbury. Much better documented is that Christianity reached the areas of
Western England, including Glastonbury, which were not occupied by the Romans,
long before the conversion of the Roman Empire. Much later the Saxons were
converted and brought Christianity to the rest of England. There is yet
another legend that St. Patrick was buried at Glastonbury. There was an abbey
at Glastonbury since at least the Fifth Century. Glastonbury Abbey was the
centre of the monastic revival begun by St Dunstan in the Tenth Century, which
spread across the whole country. Since at least the Eighth Century there has
been special devotion to Mary at Glastonbury, and a new statue of Our Lady of
Glastonbury was enthroned in 1955.
NEWS FROM THE PILGRIMS
Dominic O‘Hara (Walsingham 1, Glastonbury 1, Canterbury 2, Buckfast 1 and Evesham) has moved down to Brighton and is working on his own as a Freelance Trainer, working with people who have learning difficulties and organising training courses in such areas as bereavement & communication skills helping people to lead normal lives, stress management, understanding difficult behaviour, etc. He sends his love to all who know him and feels so out of’ touch he wants to come off the pilgrimage mailing list. I intend to ignore this request. The early pilgrimages would not have been the same without him!
Margaret Cullen (Wessex and Walsingham 2) has obtained a degree in Pastoral Theology from Heythrop College in July She has moved to Liverpool and is teaching at the Star of the Sea Primary School in Seaforth.