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IMPRESSIONS
OF ST CHAD’S REUNION
Eighteen
pilgrims spent an enjoyable reunion at St Mary’s College, Oscott during the
weekend after Easter. On the Friday evening pilgrims arrived as the snow fell.
They were greeted by warming soup and rolls. As these were eaten everyone had
the chance to catch up with others news. Some thirsty pilgrims persuaded
others to trek over the snow to the local drinks stop. The evening was rounded
off with night prayer in the seminary chapel.
Sleeping
accommodation was very comfortable in carpeted class rooms and Greek written
on the blackboards. We were also treated to the luxury of baths and showers
complete with piping hot water. Just the thing to remedy the harsh weather.
Saturday
began with sunshine and the thawing of the snow covering. Breakfast included
chicken hot dog sausages and beans together with toast which followed morning
prayer. Before beginning our days walk to the three-spired Lichfield Cathedral
we celebrated mass in the chapel. This housed the largest Paschal candle ever
seen! Gareth Thomas had the honour of snuffing it out afterwards. The
morning’s walk was delightful through Sutton Park and around the golf course
and the following a Roman road for a prayer stop at Little Ashton. Here people
were busily preparing for a wedding later in the day. I’m sure that they
wholly appreciated pilgrims tramping through their clean church! This church
also had pilgrimage connections Aidan Simons’ grandparents are buried in the
cemetery.
Lunch
was a short distance away in the village of Shenstone. After a refreshing
break at ‘The Railway’ pilgrims set off for the final leg to Lichfield.
The sun shone most of the afternoon just as it had in the morning. As we
approached the outskirts of the city, there were more houses of hospitality
which proved to be too tempting for some pilgrims! As the afternoon began
evening pilgrims gathered in front of the Cathedral in good time for evensong
which was lead by a visiting choir.
The
return journey was to be made by train. The pilgrim group managed to find the
station without the aid of orange arrows. However, we did have to ask
direction of a number of citizens Upon arrival at the rail station it was
decided that we should purchase a group ticket This involved the exchange of
fistfuls of small change. However, in the fullness of time all was sorted out
and everyone managed to find their way to the platform. The train arrived
quickly and sped us back to Chester Road Station. This meant a one-mile walk
back to St Mary’s College. The route included the option of restocking on
liquid supplies.
Fr
Rob treated us to a wonderful meal of salmon pasta in a cream source which
everyone enjoyed several helpings. The dessert finished off completely as it
was delicious ‘death by chocolate’. The celebrations continued well into
the night.
Sunday
morning was very leisurely and allowed weary pilgrims to further celebrate the
Easter season with morning prayer and mass before we made our way south. Many
pilgrims met up for lunch at the Wobbly Wheel just outside Banbury which
brought the weekend to lovely conclusion.
Everyone
agreed it was a very relaxed and enjoyable weekend. Our thanks and
appreciation to Fr Rob for hosting
the reunion.
OUR LORDS INVITATION
The
journey starts with the invitation,
Our
earthly pilgrimage with the Crucifixion;
Our
invite comes in the form of conversion,
Its
acceptance leads to spiritual re-formation.
Our
holy trek starts at the Round Table,
It
takes us south and west if we’re able:
To
succeed, take each step at a time;
Along
the flat, the descent and the climb.
Let
Jesus be your companion along the pilgrim way,
Walking
with you, keeping the devil at bay;
We
must accept Him, and follow to the last,
He
will lead us, with Him, to the Abbey Buckfast.
Copyright
© Danny Thomas 1996
PILGRIMS ON THE MOVE
Karin
Austin (née Cooper) (Evesham):
I
have just received the latest Pilgrimage Newsletter, which has been forwarded to
me here in Washington DC. Many thanks for continuing to send it to someone who
has not joined in for a good number of years. My one and only pilgrimage in fact
was Evesham in 1983. I just thought I’d write an let you know that in November
1995 I moved here to the United States with my husband Chris, whom I married a
Shoreham-by-Sea in October 1995. We had met many years before whilst at
university in London. We expect to be here for 2—3 years, as Chris is working
on a secondment to the World Bank.
Thomas (Walsinghain 2, Canterbury 2, St. Richard’s 1 & 2 St David’s) and Lesley Yeung (St. Richard’s I & 2 St. David’s) are living in Australia! Thomas has been sent there with his company for two years. He went ahead of Lesley and the children who followed on Good Friday. They all hope to return to Suffolk at the end of January 1998.
PILGRIM NEWS
Dawn
Willson (Canterbury 1, Buckfast 1,
Buckfast 2, Lindisfarne, Wessex, Martyrs) writes:
Very
sadly I can’t make it this year. Last year our younger daughter volunteered to
look after her Dad for the fortnight but this year she’s elsewhere and also
I’m expecting a steady stream of guests - exactly what we hoped would
happen but it means I’ll be busy in August.’
John
and I will be going to Galicia over Pentecost. We’ve always wanted to ‘do’
Santiago de Compostela. A very inspiring pilgrimage organised by ‘Retreats
beyond Dover’. They take you to several other religious foundations as well.
We stayed in a monastery called Poio. About 50 people; 60% RC, 40% CofE. Talks
by David Torkington plus excursions to nearby monasteries. The Cathedral has a
lovely ‘used’ atmosphere. You actually HUG St. James. As for the flying
thurible it is AMAZING. Still lots of walkers - we hid our charabanc!’
In
November I’m still hoping to go to India My girlfriend and I have found an
eco-sensitive third world promoting tour travelling by bus and staying in
families. If we survive this experience it will be entirely due to the
toughening up process of A&BEWPs !!!‘
Tineke
Hulsechboch (St Richard’s 1, St.
David’s, Norwich )
has responded to our request for news:
In
answer to the Newsletter of February 1996: No I will not be coming this year; by
the time you start walking I will have to start working again (almost). Before
that I will have been in Central America, visiting Guatemala, Mexico and
Belize.’
On
1st March my mother died at the age of nearly 77. My father, who is 84 is doing
well but feels the pain of loss, which is understandable after a marriage of
nearly 50 years. Will you ask the pilgrims to pray for them on their walking
prayer route? When words ill the steps you make along the pilgrimage say your
prayers for you.’
I
myself will have to do a bit of walking for my adopted Godson. I walk the
‘Pietespad’ from the north of Holland to Maastrict. I seem to remember that
the next lap is 30 kilometres. Love to everybody I know. I have fond memories of
all of you.’
Some
pilgrims will know that Wendy Evans, 57, mother of Simon Evans (Glastonbury 2,
St David’s, Norwich, Hereford, Martyrs), died on 28th March from a
serious heart conditions and lupus, a condition of the auto-immune system. The
Sussex Lupus Group has set up the Wendy Evans Memorial Fund to raise money for
lupus research and to buy some special equipment for the lupus unit at St
Thomas’ Hospital in London.
Simon
completed the London Marathon on 21st April in a time of 4 hours 57
minutes and 35 seconds through sponsorship to raise money for the Memorial Fund.
To date, Simon and his family have raised over £3,000 for the Wendy Evans
Memorial Fund. If any pilgrim would like to contribute to this fund please
contact Simon Evans.
Please
remember in your prayers, Tineke and Simon and their families together with
their mothers’ eternal welfare may they both live forever in God’s glorious
light.