Did you watch the latest in the Pilgrimage Series on BBC2, when seven celebrities took to the highways and byways of North Wales in the footsteps of the Celtic Saints? I have to admit I have recorded it but haven’t watched it yet, but I will do, because although sometimes the participants annoy me, or frustrate me, I find it fascinating and, yes, often inspiring to watch them as they go through the highs and lows that a Pilgrimage will often take you on.

I have been fortunate to visit several of the major Pilgrimage sites in this country and in Europe. I have been to the Holy Land, to St Peter’s in Rome, to Walsingham, to Canterbury, and of course in own Cathedral we have the Shrine of St Richard, considered by some to be third most important Shrine in the country after that of Thomas Becket in Canterbury and Our Lady in Walsingham. But what is it about a Pilgrimage that still inspires so many people today? Why do over 400,000 walk the Camino de Santiago every year, beginning in France, or Portugal, or even Canterbury, and ending at the Church of Santiago de Compostela in Northern Spain.

The thing about a Pilgrimage is that the destination is not always the most important aspect. Pilgrimages begin the moment you step out of your front door, or switch off your mobile phone, even if you are going to be travelling most of the way by air, coach or car. Pilgrimage is about the journey, and not just the physical but the mental, emotional and spiritual journey people go on when they leave the everyday behind. Pilgrimages can be hundreds of lines long, or a few miles around your local area, or you can even undertake a Pilgrimage without leaving home.

So back to my question, what is it that inspires people to ‘go on Pilgrimage’? Well, think back to Lockdown. For some people, the enforced slowdown, the enforced isolation, was a difficult time, but for others it was a time of renewal, a time of rejuvenation, and a time of discovery. People found a new appreciation for nature, a new understanding of the world around them, and took it as a chance to reflect on their lives and on their priorities. The same is often the case on a Pilgrimage. They are a chance to reassess our lives and to become better grounded in our faith, in our lives, and in our relationships. They are a chance to reflect on what is important, and what isn’t, and to decide what, and how, you want your future to be.

It isn’t always possible to go on an organised Pilgrimage but just a couple of hours a week, with no emails, no mobile phones, not TV, in fact no distractions at all, can be an amazing experience, and can be life changing and life affirming. So, the next time you have some free time, don’t try to fill it, take advantage of the opportunity to have a bit of a Pilgrimage at home, who knows what you may discover about yourself

Rev Sarah

Sunday Worship

Sunday 28th April
Holy Communion
10am
St Andrew’s, West Dean

Children’s Church
11am
St Andrew’s, West Dean

Rev Sarah Manouch
07468 854864 priestvalleyparish@gmail.com
Please note that I am part-time. My principal working days are Friday and Saturday as well as Sunday. I am not available on a Thursday