Join one of two walking pilgrimages to the Church of St Francis of Assisi in Nailsea to celebrate the Year of St Francis! 2026 marks 800 years since the death of St Francis of Assisi and Pope Leo XIV has declared a special Year to commemorate this. More can be found here . Francis was a pilgrim who undertook significant journeys to Rome, Santiago de Compostela and the Holy Land. He urged that all forms of hostility or conflict be avoided and that a humble and fraternal attitude be shown to those who did not share his faith. The 3rd Ocober 2026 is exactly 800 years since St Francis died, and the day before his feast day. To mark this a walking pilgrimage is planned in the Diocese of Clifton on Saturday 3rd October with two legs: The Bristol leg will start at Clifton Cathedral at 10.30am and end at the Church of St Francis of Assisi in Nailsea at about 4.30pm (9.4 miles) The Clevedon leg will start at the Franciscan church of the Immaculate Conception in Clevedon at 1pm and end at the Church of St Francis of Assisi in Nailsea at about 4.30pm (6.4 miles) The two legs will convene at 4.30pm at St Francis' Church, Nailsea for refreshments and prayer. Those who wish can stay for the 6pm Vigil Mass for the Feast of St Francis on the following day (Sunday 4th October). Pilgrims are welcome to register to join for one or other of the legs. Walkers do so at their own risk. Children under 18 years old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Pilgrims will be responsible for carrying their own food and drink and for arranging their own transport to the start and finish. Nailsea is well served by trains and buses. More details about the walks and how to register can be found below. You can also be part of the pilgrimage by praying for the success of the event and for the safety of pilgims. You can find other ideas to mark the day here .

A Pilgrimage to commemorate the Year of St Francis of Assisi Saturday 3rd October 2026

Charity Pilgrimage for Mary’s Meals – Saturday 5th – Friday 11th September! This popular pilgrimage is returning for a second year. It is great fun and all in the cause of providing school meals for children in poor countries Mary’s Meals UK Charity – Helping to Feed Hungry Children Living in Poverty Worldwide | Mary’s Meals UK . It is a full guided pilgrimage and we are usually accompanied by a Catholic priest so that there is Mass and prayers each day. The costs are inclusive of accommodation, baggage transfers (for one medium sized bag each) and the guide. There are three options, £427 for shared rooms and sleeping on church floors where available, £538 for shared accommodation and £718 for single occupancy. A day by day blog of the last Mary’s Meals charity pilgrimage is available here Walking the Augustine Camino – by Roy Peachey (keep pressing next at the bottom of the page for subsequent days). Contact Andrew at camino@augustinecamino.co.uk for further details.

Hearts in Search of God collaborator Eddie Gilmore is leading a walking pilgrimage to Assisi from September 18 th - 26 th 2026! The group will spend a night in Florence, then travel to Città di Castello and walk for six days along the beautiful ‘Way of Francis.’ Contact Eddie for more information: gileag@gmail.com www.eddiegilmore.org

Eddie Gilmore found music and walking pilgrimage an enchanting combination!

I am very grateful to those who encouraged me during my 322 mile walk along the Via di Francesco. A total of £3,332 was raised to support the work of the St Francis Leprosy Guild, equivalent to more than £10 per mile walked! Many thanks to the trustees of the Guild for their help with social media and with managing the process.

All are welcome to join the Roses Walking Pilgrimage from Middlesbrough to Blackburn, 15th to 30th August 2026! The route links the cathedrals of Middlesbrough, Ripon and Blackburn, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary. We follow the lower Tees valley and Vale of York before crossing the Pennines and cutting through the Forest of Bowland, so expect some great scenery. There are rest days in Ripon and Skipton. The organisers are Diocese of Arundel and Brighton Ecumenical Walking Pilgrimages who have run an annual pilgrimage since 1975 in different parts of England and Wales. Come with us and experience walking as part of our travelling Christian community, whether for a fortnight or just an afternoon! The walk is guided and luggage is forwarded. The cost is £350 to walk with us all the way, or £33 per night to book a shorter spell. To find out more and book your place, visit http://www.thepilgrims.org.uk/book 

On 27th April I set out to walk from Florence to Assisi to Rome with two friends.

I will be walking 322 miles on the Via di Francesco in support of the St Francis Leprosy Guild.