This newsletter arrives with your main pilgrimage mailing for 1994, with posters and application forms for the Hereford Pilgrimage, a journey that will take us west from Guildford to the River Severn and through the beautiful Wye Valley countryside to the mediaeval shrine of St Thomas of Hereford. Accommodation arrangements are almost settled and route planners are about to begin their task for our summer adventure.

For this year only, as a special attraction to young people we have introduced a special all-inclusive price of £99 for those who are under 21 years of age. We hope this will be an encouragement for ever-greater numbers of young people to experience the enjoyment of pilgrimage lifestyle!

Please tell your friends, and particularly the young people of your parishes and churches about it. Would you also please ensure, if you live in the Arundel and Brighton Diocesan area, that the poster is displayed on your church notice board, and stays on display until the pilgrimage! But experience shows that the best advertisement is by word of mouth from those who have actually taken part. After all, people need a bit of convincing that such a crazy way of spending precious holiday time could be so enjoyable! So several copies of the poster are enclosed for you to spread around. Please ask Andy Ollard (telephone 0908-605797) for more if you can use them.

THE HEREFORD PILGRIMAGE TEAM

Coordinator: Andy Ollard

Accommodation: Fr Bill Haynes & Mary Russell

Pilgrimage Secretary:    Gillian McLauchlan

Caterer: Frances Dean

Chief Route Planner: Margaret Nicholls assisted by Louise lnglebrecht & John Chenery

Drinks Car Driver: Julian Martin

General Secretary: Alan Fox

Medical Officer: Danny Thomas

Packed Lunch Co-ordinators: Clare Fellingham & Lucinda Wood

Treasurer: Patrick Reeve

Van Driver: Tony Finnegan

As you see we now have a van driver. Thank you Tony!

CELEBRATION CONTINUES AT REDHILL!

This years Reunion took place at Fr. Bills parish at Redhill on the l2th - l4th November. On arrival on Friday evening we all congregated in the parish bar due, unfortunately, to there being scouts and badminton sessions in the two sleeping halls.

After the late arrivals we were treated to entertaining slides of the Julian of Norwich Pilgrimage (and a few from 1992) presented by David Cosham, unsuspecting pilgrims beware. Be assured in whatever activity you partake your movements are likely to be caught on film for future posterity and embarrassment.

Following a return to ‘pilgrim bliss’ ( a good night’s sleep on a hard floor) we awoke on Saturday morning to a hearty breakfast prepared by our resident caterer, Frances Dean, helped by the organising locals: Joan Gale, Pat Donachie and Pat Cripps. After joining the parishioners for morning Mass we started the day’s walk lead by another local, Maurice Hickman, with some parishioners also joining us.

Undaunted by the true autumn rainy weather which took us through muddy but luckily not too steep slopes we reached the Mint Arms Pub at Lower Kingswood for lunch. The afternoon’s walk in the persisting rain involved some slippery slopes and more than one of us added mud to our rain sodden clothing.

Nonetheless we completed our 11-mile walk about Reigate Hill arriving safely at the hall (just) after dark. All credit to the diligent front markers who had difficulties placing wet arrows without drawing pins and also to the back markers who fearlessly trekked after a couple of lost pilgrims who had decided to ‘do their own thing’...

The evening provided live music from George Rhodes and dancing in the Parish Centre jointly with parishioners and further opportunity to congratulate Fr. Bill on his Silver Jubilee. Many old pilgrim friends joined us for the evening at which the unique ‘Pilgrimage Route Map’ presented to Fr. Bill in July was displayed and a remarkably decorated cake made by Eileen Fox presented to Fr. Bill and shared by all. Despite the live music, regular pilgrim songs made an appearance and even infiltrated the raffle.

We again joined the parishioners for Sunday Mass. It was Remembrance Sunday and we all joined in silence to remember the dead. The pilgrim musicians helped the parish group.

There followed coffee in the Parish Centre and clearing up. Afterwards departures with many pilgrims having signed up (for route planning anyway) for our 1994 Pilgrimage to Hereford to again savour the Pilgrimage lifestyle...

Lesley Hill

WARM UP FOR HEREFORD!

Portsmouth Diocesan Walking Pilgrimage

This year’s Pilgrimage will be a leisurely walk around Guernsey starting on Easter Monday 4th April until Saturday 9th April1994. To find out more, contact Margaret Howells

Sussex Border to El Salvador

A 40 mile sponsored walk along part of the Sussex Border Path on the weekend of 4^th - 5^th June 1994. This event will raise funds for housing, health care, employment and education projects in El Salvador where A&B priest, Fr John Medcalf is working. To find out more telephone Jo and Terry Furse

A LETTER FROM...

Edna Davies has requested that we print this letter:

Dear Pilgrims

Thank you for the abundance of Christmas cards once again. These were especially appreciated this year as I was unable to join the pilgrimage. It was very kind of all those pilgrims who have offered an open door to me and a cup of tea I hope! Well I am warning beware as I have a feeling coming on that I may accept your offer.

1993 was quite a year for me — hatch, match and dispatch. As you know, I became a grandma to a delightful grandson, George. He is always smiling except when in church. He decided to have a jolly good cry when his auntie Lynne (the middle one of my three children) was at the alter listening to Nigel taking his marriage vows. However, she is sure he said all the right words. Pat and Keith Donachie were at the wedding and Keith did one of the readings which Lynne and Nigel appreciated. Thank you, Keith.

I gave Lynne away as her dad had died earlier in the year. We had been married 38 years, 6 of them apart. During our separation we became aware of how much we depended on each other. We had found new interests, I became a pilgrim and Max became a Samaritan. Our lives where enriched and our friendship also. We met regularly for a meal and a chat and shared our interests, we no longer rowed and got our sense of humour back again.

All people who are separated, divorced or bereaved go through different emotions; isolation, emptiness, anger, insecurity, guilt, grief and many more. The emotions keep returning in different orders and differing degrees. I thank the dear Lord I was lucky to have been introduced to the ‘Beginning Experience’ which is Christian based. It is a powerful and intense coarse which gives a positive experience of hope. I hope eventually to come to the final emotion — an acceptance. With faith and support from fellow Christians. I know that I have just got to arrive there.

Best wishes to you all,

Edna Davies

P.S. I feel sure that you will all keep praying for Rosemary. Thank you.

Julian Reflection

Joy to give to Jesus

Understanding to know Jesus

Love to live for Jesus

Intelligence to think Jesus

Alleluia to sing to Jesus

Norwich to walk to Jesus

Danny Thomas, Aug ‘93

PILGRIM NEWS

Clare Lees has written to inform us of her new address. Her husband, John, was appointed Minor Canon and Succentor at St. Paul’s Cathedral in November. Clare and John have a baby daughter (Elizabeth Mary Evelyn) born 20th Jury 1993. She was baptised by her grandfather (Fr. Stanley Cann of Bexhill). Stanley and Clare took part in 1981 Sussex Pilgrimage and they both met pilgrims on St Richard’s Part 2 at Hove in East Sussex.

Alison Tanner passed her driving test last October and celebrated by driving her Nissan Sunny to the Pilgrimage Reunion!

Monica and Gillian McLauchlan joined a sponsored walk along Brighton sea front in fancy dress. Monica was a chicken and Gillian a jester. Together they raised over £400 for St John the Baptist Church Restoration Fund.

Gary O’Brien became engaged to Iwona Zylewicz at Christmas. Iwona is from Gdynia, near Gdansk, in Poland where they celebrated the festive session with her family. Congratulations to them both!

Bryan Jones began formal training for the priesthood at a seminary in Bangalore, India in November. He was assigned to India following acceptance for training while in Italy earlier in the year. Bryan has been a member of the Neo-Catechumenate, an organisation to help people lead an actively spiritual life, for more than 17 years. Last July he joined 1000 fellow full-time Lay Apostolates from the organisation in Denver for the Pope’s visit. Bryan was part of Lindisfarne, Birthday, Wessex, Walsingham 2, Canterbury 3, St Richards 1 & 2, and St David’s pilgrimages. Please remember Bryan in your prayers.

Jo Hennessy (Birthday, Wessex & Walsingham 2) is back in Reigate living with her parents after completing her Psychology degrees in Oxford and Sheffield. She is now working close to Hampton Court.

Sue Earley is now living back in her flat in Wandsworth and is enjoying her job teaching Design Technology at James Allens Girls School.

Claire Fellingham says she would love to hear from pilgrims while she is studying away from home.

Condolences to Linda Green whose father, Alfred John, died from a heart attack on 9th January 1994. Please remember, Linda, her mother Vera and her sister, Diane, in your prayers. May John live forever in the glory of God’s presence.

Please forward any information for this column to: Andy Ollard