The key to any safe and successful walking pilgrimage is thorough preparation. This resource is a useful prompt.

A pilgrimage is a journey undertaken by individuals or groups for religious or spiritual reasons, often to a sacred place or shrine of particular significance. It is an expression of faith and devotion that involves physical travel as well as inner exploration and transformation. Pilgrimages have been integral to many religious traditions throughout history, including Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. In the Catholic faith, a group pilgrimage is seen as a special journey of prayer and devotion. It is an opportunity for believers to deepen their relationship with God, seek spiritual renewal, and encounter the divine in tangible ways. Pilgrimages are not only about visiting holy sites but are also about the inward journey, seeking grace, forgiveness, healing, or enlightenment. Planning the inner journey Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 Planning a personal pilgrimage is a sacred process. It can be a transformative and enriching spiritual experience. Walking alone provides the opportunity for solitude, encounter with strangers and closeness to nature. Individual walking pilgrimage can give insights into the communities passed through. . The destination When choosing a destination for your pilgrimage, consider the following factors: Popular pilgrimage sites: Explore well-known pilgrimage sites, such as shrines dedicated to saints, historic churches, or locations associated with miracles or apparitions. Accessibility: Ensure the pilgrimage site is accessible to you given your age and physical abilities. Accommodation: If you need overnight accommodation, try to find options which align with the aims of the pilgrimage and are affordable. These may include retreat centres, religious houses or hospitable parishes. The British Pilgrimage Trust’s Sanctuary Network provides affordable options such as churches, church halls, village halls or sports pavilions. Cultural relevance: The Catholic community in England & Wales is incredibly diverse in terms of ethnicity and culture. Consider the cultural context of the pilgrimage destination and its significance. Setting dates and itinerary Creating a well-planned itinerary is essential. Dates: Select dates that coincide with religious feast days, significant anniversaries, or local events that enhance the spiritual significance of the pilgrimage. Don’t forget the weather! Itinerary: Develop an itinerary that incorporates a variety of activities catering to spiritual, educational, and recreational needs. Include daily Mass if possible, opportunities for prayer and reflection, guided tours of sacred sites, and times of silence and openess to encounter with others. Prayer and reflection: Plan specific prayer stops, devotions, and meditations that align with the pilgrimage theme or focus. Include encounters with local religious communities. Before the way I rejoiced when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.” Psalm 122:1 Preparing yourself spiritually is essential for a good pilgrimage experience. Prayer and reflection resources can be found here . Personal spiritual preparation: Prior to the pilgrimage research the route and plan to make the experience as deeply as possible. Try to find daily Scripture readings, novenas, or devotional exercises related to the pilgrimage theme. Indentify a personal intention for the journey : This might be to pray for healing, to give thanks for some event, to commemorate a loved one or to raise money for a cause close to your heart. Talk to others about your plans: Try to find books about the way you have chosen or speak to others who have walked it. Find resources that address the themes of the pilgrimage, such as faith renewal, healing, or devotion to specific saints. Share your spiritual intentions: This may include your talking about your c oncerns and hopes for the pilgrimage with family, friends, and your home community. On the road Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. Psalm 86:11 Incorporating liturgies, personal prayer and rituals enhances the spiritual depth of the pilgrimage. Resources can be found here . Masses and Sacraments: Where possible, try to find Masses at significant pilgrimage sites, allowing yourself to participate in the liturgy and be nourished by the Eucharist. Receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation (confession) can foster spiritual healing and renewal. Devotions: Plan to include devotions that symbolise the journey of faith such as praying the Rosary, Stations of the Cross, or other traditional Catholic prayers relevant to the pilgrimage theme. Rituals: Integrate symbolic rituals like lighting candles at sacred shrines, making offerings of prayer intentions, or reciting specific prayers associated with the pilgrimage's spiritual objectives. Silence: It is good to include a period of intentionally silent walking, giving yourself the opportunity to reflect on your own intentions for the pilgrimage. Research guidance on contemplative practices that encourage inner reflection. Fellowship: You may encounter others on the way. Try to be open to these as opportunities for sharing your pilgrimage with others. It may be possible to join communal meals, shared experiences, and social gatherings entoute. At the destination And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” Luke 13:29-30 It is important to plan how you will mark your arrival at the shrine or other destination, or there may be a sense of anti-climax. Resources can be found here . Consider: Welcome : by the Shrine Director, clergy, staff or parishioners. Shared prayer : it is important to mark the end of the pilgrimage with a prayer which is relevant to the site and theme. Tour of the destination and an explanation of its religious and cultural significance. Devotions: for example, lighting three candles, one for the pilgrim’s personal intentions and for any that others have asked him or her to pray for, one in gratitude for the people who helped along on the Way, and one in hope for those who will follow. Masses and Sacraments: Where possible, arrange a final Mass and the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation (confession). If this is not possible then the Evening Prayer of the Church for the day may be a good way to end the pilgrimage. Fellowship over tea and coffee is always welcome and a group photo with others at the destination! After the way Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 Continuing the pilgrimage experience beyond the journey itself is important for sustaining spiritual growth. Resources can be found here . Personal reflection : Try to reflect on the experience and to continue the journey. Reflect and Learn: Consider offering to speak to your community to share the experience and its impact on your faith journey. Plan Future Pilgrimages: Use insights from the pilgrimage experience to plan future pilgrimages that address the your evolving spiritual needs. Collaborate with other pilgrims, and clergy to identify new destinations, themes, and spiritual objectives for upcoming journeys. Phil McCarthy NB I am grateful to Molly Conrad and Elliot Vanstone for their contributions to the development of this resource.

Congratulations on completing your pilgrimage. Now you can download the certificate of completion!

The key to any safe and successful walking pilgrimage is thorough preparation!

Preparation and planning for the inner journey is the key to a successful pilgrimage.

In this post Alison Gelder shares her experience of group walking pilgrimage drawing on many years of taking part in Pilgrim Cross during Holy Week.

In this post Andrew Kelly, Co-Founder and Route Director of the Augustine Camino describes how to develop a good pilgrim route based on his experience of developing the Augustine Camino. The Augustine Camino , the popular pilgrimage route to the Shrine of St Augustine in Ramsgate has featured on Radio 4 and in the National and Specialist Press . It visits the two oldest cathedrals in England as well as shrines to five of England’s greatest saints plus two monasteries with accommodation right on the route. The art on display is stunning – sometimes being borrowed for exhibitions at the British Museum or the V&A in London. It is a candidate for Britain’s best developed pilgrimage route with waymarking, plenty of accommodation options and services including a website, helpdesk, guidebook, accommodation booking and baggage transfers. The 46 pilgrim stamps are recognised towards a Compostela in Santiago as well as one at the Shrine of St Augustine in Ramsgate. It is wholly within the Archdiocese of Southwark and includes shrines to all three diocesan patrons – Our Lady, St Thomas Becket and St Augustine of Canterbury. Developing a good pilgrimage route starts with a worthy objective; somewhere of significance, such as an important and beautiful shrine. There should be a compelling story relevant to the Diocese and hopefully a history of devotion. In our case we have the Diocesan Shrine to St Augustine of Canterbury. It is a beautiful Grade I listed building, designed and built by Augustus Welby Pugin, the designer of Big Ben. The Shrine is a focus of devotion to the Apostle to the English, the man sent by Gregory the Great to convert the English to Christianity in 597. It is important for the route to cover a realistic distance. The famous routes such as the Camino de Santiago or the Via Francigena have government support. If you don’t have that level of funding then choose something manageable within your resources. Many pilgrims don’t have the time or the inclination to walk for weeks on end, so pick a distance that can be accomplished on annual leave from work. Remember also that not everyone is fit. Although the fastest completion of the Augustine Camino was 22 hours , most take a week and many take a lot longer. We have many pilgrims in their eighties – think of their needs. The Augustine Camino is roughly 100kms long which allows us to have the same rules as Santiago – to walk at least 100kms and collect at least two pilgrim stamps per day. This also happens to be the approximate distance from Nazareth to Jerusalem on foot which is possibly where the rule came from. Pilgrimage is about the journey as much as the destination, so ensure there is plenty of interest along the way. We started with a list of all the most sacred and beautiful churches locally and then worked to see how many we could reasonably include. Don’t slavishly follow a medieval route – they miss many more recent places of interest. In our case this would have meant walking down the A2. As far as possible, we have avoided roads. Not only is this much more pleasant but it is also safer, particularly if you are walking in a group. People can be awfully careless if they think someone else is looking after health and safety! Pilgrim stamps can seem an unnecessary addition to your pilgrimage. However, they are extremely popular, both with pilgrims and with churches. The local pubs have become quite competitive with their stamp designs and they are a good way to engage local organisations such as community halls, cafes and campsites. We also distribute a window sticker welcoming pilgrims. It all helps to engender a feeling of ownership and pride in the route amongst the local community. A stamped pilgrim passport also gives access to special services such as free entry to Canterbury Cathedral, a pilgrim rate at Aylesford Priory and the new Sanctuary network of low-cost accommodation in churches and halls. Having walked many long-distance trails, there is nothing more annoying than finding yourself in a remote car park at the end of a tiring day. A pub/café for lunch and a choice of accommodation each evening is vital. Navigation should also be straightforward. We have waymarked the route with discrete stickers and provide a free GPX file for use with mobile navigation systems (they are cheap and can be downloaded to your phone). There are also maps and directions in the guidebook and on the website. We publish regular updates on the state of the path. Finally, some people like the reassurance of having someone book their accommodation , call ahead to open churches and move their bags. This is particularly true of pilgrims coming from abroad – a significant proportion of walkers are from the US, Canada, Australia and other parts of the English-speaking world. We also offer guided pilgrimages at least twice a year . Creating a pilgrimage route is much more involved than it seems. It is easy to draw a line on a map but to have a route that pilgrims walk regularly, that locals cherish and that works for walkers, churches and local businesses takes sustained effort over a number of years. You need someone to lead it who is obsessed with detail and willing to sacrifice their time and money to a project that may not bear fruit for some time. Effectively you need to find someone with a pilgrimage vocation !

Dominic DeBoo discusses the challenges of incorporating fundraising into a pilgrimage.

A pilgrimage for school students requires careful planning. Stuart Keene, Assistant Headteacher and Pilgrimage Leader at St. Edward's School, Poole, describes how his school prepared.

No activity is ever risk free but organisers should manage and reduce risks where possible. The model below is a proforma which can be adapted to reflect the risks identified by the organisers.

Once risks involved in a pilgrimage have been identified and where possible mitigated, participants should be briefed so that they can keep themselves safe.