Dear Friend 

Welcome to the Winter 2026 Hearts in Search of God Project newsletter.

Save the Date! Saturday 21st March 2026: A Spring Pilgrimage Gathering 

During the 2025 Jubilee with its theme 'pilgrims of hope' there was an upsurge in walking pilgrimage in England and Wales, including the national Pilgrimage of Hope to Nottingham. To build on this a Spring Gathering will be held in central London for those involved in walking pilgrimage during the Jubilee. The aims are to reflect on the successes of the Jubilee year and to plan how to continue to promote and develop walking pilgrimage in our nations. More details and an invitation to register will follow.

A New Pilgrim Way for the Archdiocese of Birmingham!

A Pilgrimage with Dr Newman follows St John Henry Newman's spiritual journey. The route was walked to mark Newman being proclaimed a Doctor of the Church on 1st November 2025.

2026: the Year of St Francis of Assisi

October 3rd 2026 will mark the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis of Assisi. His strived for peace, making him a saint for our troubled times. Why not make a walking pilgrimage for peace to a church dedicated to St Francis near you? A map and details of the 26 churches can be found here. 

Companions on the Road

The latest addition to the Companions on the Road page is Walk With Williams, a specialist tour operator that organises self-guided walking holidays across the UK. They can be contacted if you would like help with itinerary planning, luggage transport, or B&B booking for your pilgrimage.

Upcoming Events

• Cafod's Big Lent Walks: Walk anytime, anywhere for 40 days to raise funds for life-saving water.
• Pilgrim Cross: an inclusive Easter pilgrimage for all Christians culminating on Good Friday in Walsingham
• FCJ Lindisfarne Pilgrimage for Young Adults: 8-12th April 2026. Prayer, reflection, walking and lots of socialising!
• John Bradburne Pilgrimage 2026: the annual pilgrimage in Cumbria will be on Saturday 13th June 2026. This is a physically demanding journey through mountainous terrain. Email info@johnbradburne.com 
• Arundel & Brighton Ecumenical Walking Pilgrimage 2026: Gathering in Middlesbrough on 15 August, celebration day in Blackburn 29 August, travel home 30 August.
• Latin Mass Society Walking Pilgrimage 2026 from Ely to Walsingham - Thursday 27 August to Sunday 30 August 2026

If you are organising a group walking pilgrimage in England & Wales and would like it to be featured on www.pilgrimways.org.uk please contact me.

Hearts in Search of God project Steering Group

Building on the success of the Pilgrimage of Hope a new Steering Group has been formed for the project. Details of the members will be in the next newsletter. I am very grateful to them all for contributing their time and expertise. The Group will meet regularly and will continue to call on the wisdom of the project Advisory Panel as needed.

There are new resources on the website including:     

• Individual walking pilgrimage: the basics
• Individual walking pilgrimage: enriching the inner journey
• Group walking pilgrimage: the basics
• Group walking pilgrimage: enriching the inner journey
• Pilgrims in a time of crisis: a new resource from the Ecological Conversion Group for those interested in the impact of pilgrimage on the environment
• Sigeric: Monk, Bishop, Politician, Negotiator. The Via Francigena from Canterbury to Rome follows the route taken by Sigeric, Archbishop of Canterbury, on his journey back from Rome in AD 990. Sandra Jones outlines what is known about his life.
• Cathedrals and Shrines: On these webpages you can find addresses, descriptions, websites and details of local walking pilgrimages for the Catholic cathedrals and shrines of England & Wales.

Inspiration

Thanks to all those who have contributed news and stories over the last few months. Topics include:

• The National Pilgrimage of Hope: All the reflections, podcasts and videos can be found on this webpage as well as links to the St Matthew, Mark, Luke and John Way routes.
• The St Cuthbert Mayne Way: John Ashdown reflects on a three-day parish pilgrimage from Plymouth Cathedral to the Shrine Church of St Cuthbert Mayne in Launceston
• A Memorable Milestone along the St Wilfrid's Way: Rowan Morton-Gledhill celebrates the 10th Annual St Wilfrid's Way Pilgrimage in the Diocese of Leeds
• The Francigena Britannica from London to Canterbury: Nick Dunne welcomes the formal recognition of the path.
• The Pilgrimage of Our Lady of Christendom: Christian Jenkins describes the first Our Lady of Christendom pilgrimage in the UK from Tewkesbury Abbey to Evesham
• The Path to Pilgrimage: Torin Brown asks why pilgrimage still 'packs a spiritual punch' in a secular age
• Baby Steps: Alex Knox describes the joys and occasional challenges of walking Britain's newest pilgrimage with its youngest pilgrim in his backpack
• A Pilgrimage for the Planet: Anna Fitzgerald describes the pilgrimage undertaken by the Laudato Si Circle based at Blackfriars in Oxford
• The Good Way: Details of a new pilgrimage podcast, hosted and created by Torin Brown, the pilgrim officer at Canterbury Cathedral
• A Wave of Hope in Advent: I was delighted to be invited to record this brief Advent reflection for the Catholic Bishops' Conference (England and Wales).
• A Reflection at Epiphany: King Charles and Pope Francis saw the Magi as pilgrims of hope.
• The Pilgrims to Rome Winter Walk: Eddie Gilmore writes that pilgrimage can be transformational, as this walk to Dover along the Via Francigena demonstrated



Feedback on the Diocesan Ways

I would be grateful for any feedback you have about the Ways, and especially any route updates and changes. After your pilgrimage remember to download your certificate of completion.

Please feel free to share his newsletter with people who may be interested. I hope you enjoy the website, designed by the wonderful people at Everyday Christian Marketing.

Wishing you every blessing and joy as we build on the Jubilee year and continue to walk as 'pilgrims of hope'.

Buen camino!

Phil McCarthy, Project Lead