Pilgrims of Prayer

Phil McCarthy • July 2, 2024

This article was first published in the August 2024 edition of Bible Alive. It is reproduced with their kind permission. Bible Alive is a Catholic scripture magazine which draws its strength, inspiration and direction from the liturgical cycle. For more information click on the link below.

BIBLE ALIVE

O my God, fill my soul with holy joy, courage, and strength to serve You.

Enkindle Your love in me and then walk with me along the next stretch of road before me.

I do not see very far ahead,

but when I have arrived where the horizon now closes down,

a new prospect will open before me, and I shall meet it with peace.

Edith Stein, St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Martyr of Auschwitz

2025 will be a Jubilee year, with the motto ‘Pilgrims of Hope,’ and 2024 is a year of prayer in preparation for this. In the Christian tradition, and in many other religions, undertaking a pilgrimage is one way of deepening a personal relationship with God. Pope Francis wrote in his letter declaring the Jubilee:

In the realization that all of us are pilgrims on this earth, which the Lord has charged us to till and keep (cf. Gen 2:15), may we never fail, in the course of our sojourn, to contemplate the beauty of creation and care for our common home.[i]

We live in a time of global warming, so a walking pilgrimage in England & Wales using public transport to the start and finish of the route gives us an opportunity us to contemplate the beauty of creation while caring for our common home. I hope to encourage people, especially the young, in every diocese to undertake a walking pilgrimage during the Holy Year, helping us to become ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ for the 21^st Century.

A pilgrimage is a dedicated journey to a specific holy shrine with the purpose of engaging with one’s faith, to seek enlightenment and spiritual renewal. One of the distinctions between a Christian pilgrimage and any long walk is that a pilgrimage requires us to be open to interior change through prayer. St Ignatius commends us to begin our prayer by asking for the grace we desire. That grace could be repentance, sorrow for sin, gratitude for God’s gifts, desire for truth and justice, and so on. We identify what grace we desire, and we ask God for it. It may help to have a prayer to say for your intention:

Lord Jesus Christ,

You call me to follow you,

and I choose to walk with you.

Open the eyes of my heart to see my life in a new way.

With each step I take, help me to be open to change.

As I walk this pilgrimage, give me the grace to…

[mention your intention for the journey]

I ask this in your Holy Name.

Amen.[ii]

It’s good to have an intention in mind, but St Paul asks us to go further:

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.[iii]

Many of us find prayer difficult, so how can we 'pray without ceasing' as St Paul encourages us to do? Perhaps a start is to adopt a persistent attitude of gratitude for the world, for our lives, for each other, and for each day. Seeing everything as gift opens our hearts to God, who is the giver of everything, and to desire a relationship with Him.

Pilgrimage is an ancient way that people of many faiths have used in their search for God. Undertaking an outer journey can help us focus on our inner journey, on questions of meaning and purpose. Walking pilgrimage is a sacred activity and a way of encountering God in nature. We can experience feelings of awe at the beauty of creation and unity with the universe, which may lead us to prayer and to being open to God’s presence. Walking necessitates the acceptance of the problems of the road: there is no point railing against the rain, steep hills or aching knees. This recognition of one’s smallness and transience can promote humility.

A pilgrim may appear to observers as independent and autonomous, striding towards his or her destination. In contrast, the inner experience may be one of vulnerability to the elements, and of dependence on the goodwill of strangers. Pilgrimage involves ‘stepping out’ of one’s daily life, work and family responsibilities to become a marginal, transient person, often the recipient of hospitality, but sometimes of scorn and suspicion. Pilgrimage may be a mixed experience of companionship and sometimes of solitude. There will be times of silence, and occasions of encounter with others. These varied experiences make us aware of the transcendent in our lives, and of our need for our loving God.

How should we respond to these promptings? Walking pilgrims carry only what is essential for the journey, but prayer intentions are weightless and the opportunities for prayer are many. If prayer doesn’t come easily, there are many resources to be found in churches along the route, or on the internet. A good way to start a pilgrimage is to pray the Stations of the Cross, either in a church, (the cathedral you may be starting from is ideal), or by using a book or online resource. It is a powerful way to contemplate and enter the mystery of Jesus' gift of himself to us. You may be prompted to ask, ‘What crosses do you carry? What causes you to stumble on your way through life? How will your pilgrimage change you?’

On the walk it may be helpful to take a break at midday and say the Angelus prayer. The Angelus offers a short pause in our day-to-day activity to appreciate everything around us and to immerse ourselves in the intimacy of our Lady and the Blessed Trinity. Saying the Rosary can provide a rhythm to help on long hills; one decade finger rosaries are very portable! No one wants to walk carrying a heavy breviary, but Morning and Evening prayer are accessible through the Universalis app. It is wonderful if you can join Mass on the Way, but if that isn’t possible then the readings of the day are also available at Universalis.

The Hearts in Search of God website offers a range of resource to support your spiritual journey. On the introductory webpage there are links to a new resource from the Jesuit Institute called Pilgrims of Prayer covering a wide variety of approaches to prayer and spiritual exercises including:

The Morning Offering: a way of dedicating the day to God
The Act of the Presence of God: becoming aware of the presence of God
The Four Anchor Points of Prayer: preparation, entry, closure and review
Lectio Divina: meditative prayer on scripture
Imaginative Contemplation: imaginative prayer with scripture
The Examen: reviewing the day
Praying with Art: noticing the feelings a piece of art evokes.

There are also collected prayers for use before the pilgrimage, while on the road, on arrival at the shrine and after the journey. There are links to mediations on the Jesuit Pray as You Go app.

One traditional way of marking the end of a pilgrimage is to light three candles: one for your own intentions, and any that others have asked you to pray for; one in gratitude for the people who helped you along on the way; and one in hope for those who will follow you. You may want to give thanks for your safe arrival and any other blessings you have received:

Lord Jesus Christ,

As this pilgrimage comes to an end,

I give thanks for the journey

and for my safe arrival.

Help me to walk in newness of life.

By your Spirit, transform me into your likeness.

Give me your… [mention any attributes of Jesus you want to grow in, such as patience, humility, compassion, etc.]

Jesus, fill me with your life and love.

I ask this in your Holy Name.

Amen.[iv]

Please pray for Pope Francis as he leads the Church, the Pilgrim People of God, and for all who will walk as ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ during the 2025 Jubilee.

Buen camino!

Phil McCarthy

[i] Letter of the Holy Father Francis to Msgr. Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelisation, for the Jubilee 2025

[ii] Adapted from Forward in Mission pilgrimage prayers

[iii] 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17

[iv] Adapted from Forward in Mission pilgrimage prayers

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The Pilgrimage of Hope is open for day pilgrims to register!

By Phil McCarthy • June 5, 2025

Registration for day pilgrims to join the 2025 National Walking Pilgrimage of Hope is now open! The Pilgrimage of Hope is a national walking pilgrimage with four main Ways converging at the Cathedral of St Barnabas, Nottingham, on Saturday 13th September 2025, for shared prayer and celebration. The four main Ways start at the Catholic cathedrals in Cardiff, Leeds, Norwich and Southwark, London, and will bless our nations with a Sign of the Cross and with the Gospels. The routes are named after the Evangelists and use established hiking routes and are off road as much as possible. A small group of 4-6 'perpetual pilgrims' will walk the full distance of each Way, and up to 20 day pilgrims will be able to join for day stages. Stretches which are suitable for wheelchairs and buggies have been be identified. There will be opportunities for non-walkers to provide enroute support, hospitality and prayer. There are possible feeder routes to the four main Ways from all the other Catholic cathedrals of England & Wales for keen long-distance walkers, so people from every diocese can organise their own pilgrimages. More information and registration Information about how to support the Pilgrimage with prayer and hospitality and how to register to walk stages as day pilgrims can be found here . Wishing you every blessing and joy during this Jubilee year, as we strive to become ‘pilgrims of hope’. I hope to meet many of you in Nottingham on 13th September. Buen camino! Phil McCarthy, Project Lead

Walking in the steps of London's saints

By Colette Joyce /ICN • June 4, 2025

A group of 25 pilgrims gathered at the English Martyrs Church by Tower Hill last Thursday morning, Feast of the Ascension, to take part in the Westminster Way Jubilee Year Pilgrimage, led by Westminster Diocese Justice and Peace Co-Ordinator Colette Joyce. At each station we prayed and reflected on saints connected to London and the inspiration they continue to be for us today: St John Houghton and the Carthusian Martyrs of the Reformation, the missionary St Augustine of Canterbury, St Anne Line who sheltered priests and held secret Masses in her home during the Elizabethan persecution, St Erconwald, St Ethelburga and St Etheldreda. We remembered the scholars of the 7th century who brought learning and education to both men and women, and St John Henry Newman whose own spiritual journey of conversion and prophetic sense of the nature of the Church had a profound influence on the 20th century leading up to the Second Vatican Council. From the church we walked past the Tower of London, where so many Catholic martyrs met their fate during the Reformation, stopping to pray at the site of the scaffold where St John Fisher and St Thomas More were executed. Our next stop was Mary Moorfields, the only Catholic Church in the City of London. From here we walked to the Charterhouse, once a Carthusian priory and home to the first martyrs of the Reformation. The Prior, St John Houghton and Companions were hung and quartered for refusing to take the Oath of Supremacy. Watching from his cell window, St Thomas More witnessed the monks being dragged on hurdles from the Tower of London on 4 May 1535. He is said to have admired their courage and faith as they went to their deaths, viewing them as "Cheerfully going to their deaths as bridegrooms going to their marriage." From here we walked to St Etheldreda's, Ely Place, one of the oldest Catholic churches in London. Built around 1250 as the town chapel for the bishops of Ely. After the Reformation It had several owners . For a a time it was used by the Spanish ambassador as a private chapel. During Oliver Cromwell's Commonwealth, it was used as a prison and a hospital. The Rosminians bought St Etheldreda's in 1874 and have restored it beautifully. As we were walking during Laudato Si' Week, pilgrim leader Colette Joyce invited pilgrims to reflect on the flora and fauna of London on our way. London is a surprisingly green city, blessed with around twenty percent tree coverage - which makes it technically a forest! We are especially grateful to the Victorians who planted the ubiquitous London Plane trees which can be found in streets and parks all over the city, while there are more than 400 other species of tree to discover. "The entire material universe speaks of God's love, his boundless affection for us. Soil, water, mountains: everything is, as it were, a caress of God… contemplation of creation allows us to discover in each thing a teaching which God wishes to hand on to us." (Laudato Si', 84-85) After a stop at Corpus Christi Church in Covent Garden - where former parish priest Fr Francis Stanfield wrote Sweet Sacrament Divine and Mgr Ronald Knox preached his famous homilies on the Blessed Sacrament - we made our way down the Strand, past Traflagar Square, through Whitehall, down to Westminster Cathedral. On our arrival, we weary walkers were greeted by the Cathedral Dean, Fr Slawomir Witoń. We ended our pilgrimage with prayers in the Martyrs Chapel and a reflection from Fr Slawomir on the life and witness of St John Southworth, patron saint of clergy in the Diocese of Westminster. The pilgrims received the final stamp in their Pilgrim Passports and a blessing before returning home. Colette Joyce, Westminster Diocese Justice and Peace Co-Ordinator Read more about the Westminster Way: https://westminsterjusticeandpeace.org/2025/06/02/walking-the-westminster-way/ This article was first published on Independent Catholic News: Independent Catholic News Image: Pilgrims at Westminster Cathedral (Archdiocese of Westminster)

The Psychology of Pilgrimage

By Phil McCarthy • June 3, 2025

In this podcast I discuss the psychology of pilgrimage, especially as it relates to visiting First World War battlefields and cemeteries.

Walking the St Wulstan Way

By Peter Chisholm • May 31, 2025

Pilgrims joined Fr Gerry Walsh tracing St Wulstan’s life and legacy, from Worcester Cathedral to Clifton Cathedral as part of the Catholic Church’s Year of Jubilee, “Pilgrims of Hope” celebrations. Participants explored their faith while journeying through stunning landscapes and historic locations.