A&B Walking Pilgrimage - Newsletter 42

Dear Friends,

Preparations are virtually complete for this years walk to St Davids. It has been difficult route planning but eventually all days have been covered and we hope to enjoy our first Pilgrimage that is completely outside the * diocese. The route planners’ tale will appear in the next newsletter as a postscript to this years walk.

The Next Generation

Susan and Michael McCabe welcomed their second son, Jonathan Paul, into their family on 3rd February, he weighed in at a healthy 8 lbs 11 oz. Their child’s name is similar to that of the Pope because Susan and Michael met on the Papal Pilgrimage in 1982.

Dominic Munroe (Buckfast 1) and his wile Louise became the proud parents of a daughter, Jane, born on 28th February. Carolyn Woodrup (nee Mahon) who is known to many pilgrims and has put in the odd appearance on our walks, and her husband Paul had a daughter, Shauna Arundel, born on 5th June weighing 6 lbs ½ oz.

Fellow Walkers

Margaret Howells and friends in the Portsmouth Diocese held their annual Walking Pilgrimage in April. They started at Our Lady Of The Rosary in Oxford and went through Abingdon, Faringdon, Lambourne and Kintbury before ending up at St. John The Baptist in Andover. An invitation has been extended to past, present and future Portsmouth pilgrims to attend the annual reunion on 18th to 20th September. Contact Philip Sheppard on 0703 261172 for details.

On 6th and 7th June Phil Sharp, Adrian Reeve, Gary O’Brien, Fr. Kieron O’Brien and Margaret Nicholls all took part in a forty mile sponsored walk - Wey South To Peru - to raise funds to fight cholera in the South American country. Patrick Reeve was in the back up crew as a back injury prevented him from walking . Despite the mud and rain, they made it to Arundel Football Club on the Sunday afternoon. We don’t know has much has been raised yet but everyone enjoyed it especially the dog that went swimming in the green algae on the Arun canal.

The international and ecumenical movement, 'Pilgrims of St. Francis', are a group that aims, through pilgrimage, to bring together a group of many nationalities who will, through walking, talking, praying and singing together, come further on their own inner pilgrimage journey. Living is simple, sleeping in barns or parish halls. There are frequent stops for prayer and discussion (sounds familiar ?). There is a National Pilgrimage from Northallerton to Ripon from 22-29 August, contact Pam Foster if you are interested.

Phil Sharp is now taking over the drinks car function as Diana Linfield is unable to come on this years walk, our new van driver is John Russell. Sue Earley is back in England as the chief route planner after her three months working with a community in Martha’s Vineyard in America.

Dawn Wilson has recently been in contact again and is thinking about setting up her own pilgrimage walking group in her part of South Africa but the terrain could put paid to that idea. She goes on to speak of her fears for the country because of all the political upheaval that is going on there at the moment. Dawn is currently working for a Child and Family Care Association, setting up crèches for the underprivileged.

Eddie Waller, related to Dominic Munroe (see baby news), has recently been elected as the new Mayor of Reigate and Banstead, congratulations.

Well done to all those who took part in this years Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes, especially those who were experiencing the spirit of the Grotto for the first time.

Welcome to all those who are walking with us for the first time this year, we hope you will enjoy becoming a member of our pilgrim family.

In the next newsletter it would be nice for us to be able to catch up on what has been happening to all those who have walked with us in the past and still are on the mailing list. If you have not walked with us for a while but would like to keep in touch, please let us know what you have been up to. Address your letters to Margaret Nicholls at 10 Penfold Close, Bishops Tachbrook, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire for inclusion in the next newsletter.

If any of you have an item to be included in the next newsletter, it should be sent to Margaret Nicholls at the above address; apart from the hatches, matches and dispatches we would always welcome any other news.

* Well, our second in fact: in 1984 we walked from York to Holy Island! Perhaps here is a good place to remind us all of our pilgrimages to date 1975 Holy Year (round A & B); 1976 Canterbury One; 1977 Walsingham One; 1978 Glastonbury One; 1979 Canterbury Two; 1980 Buckfast One; 1981 St. WiIfrid’s (Sussex); 1982 Papal Pilgrimage (Wembley) and Buckfast Two; 1983 Evesham; 1984 Lindisfarne; 1985 Birthdays (in the Diocese); 1986 Wessex Walk (to Bath); 1987 Walsingham Two; 1988 Canterbury Three; 1989 St. Richard’s One (Droitwich to Chichester); 1990 St. Richard’s Two (Chichester to Dover); 1991 Glastonbury Two; 1992 St. David’s - where next?