Our 2016 Pilgrimage from Winchester to Canterbury is less than 24 hours away; all the preparation work by so many people (especially the core planning team) is complete and tomorrow morning pilgrims will gather in Winchester and pray before setting off on the journey after lunch.
All the details are on the 2016 sub-site – you can find out where/when to meet the pilgrims and maybe walk a while with us, or follow the diary as we make our way towards Canterbury.
There’s also lots of useful information in Ceri’s letter in the August Newsletter.
The start of this year’s pilgrimage is less than a week away, and coordinator Ceri has written our latest newsletter with lots of information. Read the newsletter here.
Ceri refers to a number if additional items, which you can access through the links below:
The Route Cards: full information on each day’s walking route and other events, which pilgrims will carry with them as they walk
Come and Join us for a Day: a short summary of the route cards to give to potential ‘day pilgrims’ who may walk with us for a day or part day
A walking pilgrimage in the beautiful South Downs, a journey through the Holy Door at West Grinstead and a chance to join the Diocesan gathering & mass celebrated by Bishop Richard.
Have you ever thought what it might be like to make a pilgrimage as our medieval forbears did, walking the journey in prayer, fun and fellowship? Come and discover the Father’s mercy in this Jubilee Year of Mercy.
The Cost £30*. (Includes food, overnight sleeping in halls and luggage transported by van. *Priests go free. Concessions can be discussed).
Places are limited! Book early. See the poster below, then complete and return the application form.
Another pilgrim has reached his destination: Peter Storrow, who walked with us every year from 1990 to 2004. His brother-in-law, Phil Neal, writes:
Peter passed away at the Sussex County Hospital last Saturday (16th April) at 3pm. He had been in care for just over 6 months. The cause of death was heart failure, leading to multiple organ breakdown. Basically, the heart itself had ceased to function properly, for which there is no treatment, apart from a heart transplant. At 77 years of age that was not going to happen, especially under under the NHS. Considering he had his first heart attack at the age of 49, he hasn’t done too badly, I would say. The funeral will be on Wednesday 4th May at 12 o`clock at St. Joseph`s, Brighton, followed by burial just up the road at the Brighton & Preston (Downs) cemetery. There will be a “do” after, likely to be at the Garden Centre on the Race Hill. It would be great to see some pilgrims there
Peter’s funeral will be at St Joseph’s, Elm Grove, Brighton at 12 noon on Wednesday 4th May. Patrick tells me it’s about 20 minutes walk from Brighton Station.
It is my sad task to share the news that Peter Doran passed away this evening; he has been fighting prostate cancer for some time.
Peter’s time with the pilgrims was relatively short: I remember him meeting us (with Sarah) on the top of the Malvern Hills in 2004 after which he was a regular for several years, before illness hit, but he made a big impact. He was an inspirational leader and as a relatively novice pilgrim was selected as coordinator, leading in 2007 and 2008, the first passing close to his home on the Isle of Wight, the latter his once-and-future home in Gloucestershire. In 2007 Peter kept the pilgrimage show on the road when his good friend Mgr Pat Olivier suffered a heart attack and died whilst walking with us.
I personally remember Peter as a very supportive deputy when I became coordinator in 2009 (although I did have to tell him for being disruptive during notices – there is a certain pleasure in telling a retired headteacher to “SHUT UP DORAN”). Even after he actively walked with us, Peter was an ambassador for the pilgrimage.
Peter leaves behind a pilgrim family: his wife Joan walked with us in the 1970s; Mandy in the 1980s; Sarah in the 90s and since; Ben has put in an appearance from time to time too; and the many grandchildren he loved have also joined us along the way.
Peter will be sadly missed, but I can see him even now, at the pearly gates, saying to St Peter “you see these pilgrims, wearing crosses like this, I know they’re a bit grubby, but let them in”.
Rest in peace, Peter.
Peter Doran waterfight with his successor as coordinator
We have recently learnt of the death of Antony Morwood-Leyland. Tony was pilgrimage coordinator in 1984 and 1985, the first coordinator after Bill Haynes retired (the first time), before we realised how onerous a job it was. This experience led to the current committee approach to organising the pilgrimage and sharing the load, much of which Tony tried to bear alone.
More recently, Tony walked with the Portsmouth Diocesan Pilgrimage (a spin-off from ours) and was Membership Secretary for the Confraternity of St James.
Read the notice from the Basingstoke Gazette http://www.basingstokegazette.co.uk/announcements/deaths/deaths/13848660.ANTONY_MORWOOD_LEYLAND/
Our prayers are with Tony’s widow Alice (who journeyed with us in the early 1980s), sons Robert (who came as a baby in 1984) and Ed.
As last year, we decided to delay the autumn newsletter and combine it with that normally issued in February, so there is a bumper edition now available H E R E which includes various reviews of last year’s activities and lots of information about the planning of our 2016 pilgrimage from Winchester to Canterbury, which is well advanced. The 2016 poster is available H E R E and an application form will soon be available.
Diocese of Arundel & Brighton Ecumenical Walking Pilgrimage
