A Parish Pilgrimage to Bishop Eton
In this article, first published in the August 2024 edition of the Archdiocese of Liverpool's Catholic Pictorial, John Elcock describes his parish's first walking Parish Pilgrimage from the Blessed Sacrament Shrine in Liverpool city centre to the historic Shrine to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour at Bishop Eton in Woolton.
We start in the heart of the city. Dawson St is adjacent to Queen Square bus station, with all the attendant hustle and bustle of a busy Saturday morning in Liverpool. Many visitors would be unaware however that behind an unassuming porch facing the taxi rank is a place of sanctity and prayer.
The Blessed Sacrament Shrine moved here in 1985 as a focus of Eucharistic devotion, under an apostolic mission of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament. On our visit, the first of several daily Masses was nearing completion and the simple piety showed by the large congregation, representing the many diverse backgrounds and nations in the city, was a humbling and profoundly moving start to our pilgrim journey.
From Whitechapel we turn left and head up Church St with all the secular distractions offered by a busy retail district of a large city. Take a moment perhaps to pop into Pauline Books where the ministry of the Daughters of St Paul continues to provide an alternative source of meaning to the lives of all the busy shoppers passing by. At the top of Bold St the remains of St Luke's Church give us a chance to reflect on conflict, the tragedy of war and the ongoing need to pray for peace in our troubled world. From Leece St turn left onto Hope St, bookended by its two great Cathedrals, and reminding us of the fruitful strides for Christian unity made by Archbishop Worlock and Bishop Sheppard throughout the 1980s.
Enter the Metropolitan Cathedral to Christ the King. A circular walk around its giant nave is an act of prayer in itself, an almost overwhelming experience. Pause at the Blessed Sacrament Chapel and light a candle for someone you love at the Lady Chapel. The exhilarating sound of the newly refurbished organ accompanied us joyfully down the piazza and east into Oxford St. Outside of term time the University is quieter and the peace camp at Abercromby Square has moved on. Learning is at the heart of our faith, our Universities an important part of our civic culture. We walk by thinking of St Anselm and his encouragement to seek an understanding of both.
Turn right onto Crown St. Bear left, and walk across Crown Street Park; even in the city we are reminded of God's creation through birdsong and the beauty of its trees. At Overbury St you may take a short diversion north if you wish to St Anne's RC Church, served by the wonderful city mission of Fr Peter Morgan. At the time of our pilgrimage this area had just witnessed the tragedy of the summer disturbances, light and hope however was joyfully evident in a group of community
volunteers gardening and painting at the asylum centre.
Head east along Smithdown Lane then left onto Earle Rd. We pass the magnificent brick frontage of St Dunstan's with its symbols of the four Evangelists, then continue onto Lawrence Rd past St Hugh's RC Church, the tall bell tower of St Bridget & St Thomas, and along the high street rich with the busy comings and goings of the many new communities, who as diverse generations before, seek to build new lives in our city.
At the junction of Wellington Rd, turn left. Walk north past Frontline Church where many young people now explore faith and friendship at the site of a former drill hall. Turn right into Wavertree Park and aim for the path between the running track and the football pitches. Walk across 'The Mystery' along the avenue of trees to the gates on Fir Lane then past the churchyard of Holy Trinity to the junction of Woolton Rd. At this point of our pilgrimage we are now on our final stretch with less than a mile to the monastery at Bishop Eton.
Passing St Stephen's URC on your right continue along Woolton Rd to its busy junction on Queens Drive. Cross carefully then continue straight and into the pleasant suburbs of South Liverpool. Pass Green Lane on your right, where back in 1982 Pope St John Paul II stayed during his visit to Liverpool. A little further turn right into the grounds of Bishop Eton.
We end our parish pilgrimage in the Church of Our Lady of the Annunciation, served by the Redemptorists, and which holds the first copy outside of Rome of the famous icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. In 2023 parishioners at Bishop Eton, working with the Redemptorist community, set-up a new lay-led Shrine Ministry, re-establishing the weekly Novena service and with exciting plans for Bishop Eton to become yet again a place of pilgrimage. Since 1866 generations of Liverpudlians have walked to the Shrine at Bishop Eton to ask the intercession of Our Blessed Lady, and by completing this walk we felt not just a sense of
achievement but also a greater understanding of the richness of our city and the power of walking as a form of prayer. As families of parishes, we can pray that the 2025 Holy Year which Pope Francis has titled Pilgrims of Hope is our chance to to get to know each other as Christians, just a little better.
Details
Blessed Sacrament Shrine, Dawson Street, L1 1LE to Our Lady of the Annunciation, Bishop Eton, Woolton L16 8NQ. Distance: 4.5 miles (7.3km), 2 hours of walking, mostly flat and wheelchair accessible.
Guidance
Please travel with caution and observe all traffic signals. Please check church opening times in advance.
John Elcock is a member of the Shrine Ministry Team at Bishop Eton.
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