This reflection on the St Matthew's Way was given by Catherine Manghan, a perpetual pilgrim, at the Cathedral of St Barnabas on 13th September 2025.

This reflection on the St John's Way was given by Anita Tozzi, a perpetual pilgrim, at the Cathedral of St Barnabas on 13th September 2025.

This reflection on the St Luke's Way was given by Terence Cavanagh, a perpetual pilgrim, at the Cathedral of St Barnabas on 13th September 2025.

In this special episode of the All Kinds of Catholic podcast Theresa Alessandro returns to Padley Chapel on the St Mark's Way of the Pilgrimage of Hope.

Eoin Sharkey reflects on the graces he received on a cycling Pilgrimage of Hope.

An encounter with a pilgrim on another journey leads to a reflection on creation.

On the final day of the Pilgrimage of Hope Bishop Patrick McKinney walked with pilgrims and reflected on his experience and on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

The St Mark's Way was the northern Way of the Pilgrimage of Hope. Rowan Morton-Gledhill wrote a blog and recorded a piece for BBC Radio Leeds.

Joe Northam reflects that there is something frightening about getting lost, but also an appeal about being far off the beaten track yet finding a way.

Joe Northam decribes her experience of the first six days walking along the St Matthew's Way, the western Pilgrimage of Hope route to Nottingham.

In this special edition of the All Knds of Catholic podcast Theresa Alessandro speaks with pilgrims walking the Pilgrimage of Hope.

They say that an army marches on its stomach. Eddie Gilmore thinks the same must be true of pilgrims!

Joe Northam explains how she came to be involved in the Pilgrimage of Hope. She is walking the St Matthew's Way from Cardiff to Nottingham. When I heard about the Pilgrimage of Hope, a walking Pilgrimage which will mark England and Wales with the sign of the cross, I really wanted to get involved. At that time, I didn’t imagine that I would end up being a perpetual pilgrim walking (nearly) all 210 miles of the Western route. I offered to help recce the planned route. I love walking and I was looking for an opportunity to spend time alone with God, and checking the route seemed to bring those things together. However, as soon as I met with Phil, who has planned the Pilgrimage , and voiced my enthusiasm for the project I felt that, perhaps, I could do more. I just needed a bit of flexibility to accommodate the needs of my family, and being assured of that I began to discuss with my husband just how involved I could get! The first of my preparatory walks along the route began from my neighbouring parish in Harborne back in December 2024. Nine months later we prepare to embark from Cardiff. The journey ahead feels just daunting enough that we know that God needs to lead us. By we, I mean both the team of perpetual pilgrims - Phil, Faith, Jim, Dave, Catherine and myself - and the many day pilgrims who will join us for part of the way. Our ‘ St Matthew’s Way ’ takes us from the coastal paths of Wales, through the Wye Valley and across the Malvern Hills to Worcester. Then to Birmingham and from there to Lichfield and along the canals to Nottingham. It will be beautiful, varied and deeply ingrained with Christian heritage. When we met in London in May, we as a team shared our desire to meet God on the journey, not just in the glorious cathedrals and the splendour of nature, but in other people. For myself the opportunity of spending two weeks in community with the perpetual pilgrims is a challenge and a privilege. I began my Catholic life as a part of a youth community in the Nottingham Diocese and I know that the formation and growth of a shared life is not like anything else. Each day pilgrim will become a part of this sharing, bringing a unique life experience. Some may bring a testimony of God’s call on their life, others may arrive simply interested by the concept of pilgrimage and unaware of the hand of God in their life. My prayer is that each of us finishes our journey more hopeful than we began. Something I learned at the start of this liturgical year, this year of Jubilee , is that hope is a theological virtue. My understanding is that this means that it is a ‘supernatural’ virtue rather than a ‘natural’ one, something imparted by God, rather than something we attain by a muscular effort. So when we feel hopeless, it seems to me, all that we can do is to create the conditions in which God can give us his gift. For me, openness to God never seems more possible than when I am walking. A combination of being in wild spaces, knowing that I am part of the creation and the rhythm of walking, putting one foot in front of the other strips away what distracts me like so much dross. At the start of this Jubilee Year Pope Francis encouraged Catholics to consider undertaking a pilgrimage. For me there is something special about making a pilgrimage on foot but for some people that will not be possible. However, the intentional following of God to a place of prayer is something which is open to everyone. May our encounters with him on the way give us hope and allow us to bring hope to others. Joe Northam is a parishioner of Our Lady of Good Counsel and St Gregory the Great, Bearwood, Birmingham. This blog was first published on the website of the Archdiocese of Birmingham . In the Archdiocese of Birmingham the Pilgrimage will include visits to St Joseph, Malvern; St George, Worcester; St Peter, Bromsgrove; St Mary, Harborne; Holy Trinity, Sutton Coldfield; Holy Cross, Lichfield and SS Mary & Modwen, Burton on Trent (between Thursday 4 and Thursday 11 September). Please pray for all those taking part.