DIOCESE OF ARUNDEL AND BRIGHTON ECUMENICAL WALKING PILGRIMAGES
NUMBER 72 July. 2002
Pilgrimage Resumed
Thank goodness the problems of last year are behind us. Things are well in hand for a good walk from Lichfield to Lastingham - apart from minor matters of numbers. People seem rather reluctant to commit themselves until the last minute and we are walking in areas more distant from the “home patch” which makes things difficult for doing just a few days or being a “day pilgrim”.
Never mind; the halls look good, the route will be through some good countryside, we have promises of welcome from quite a few churches where ministers will lead us in prayer. This last is a particularly good thing as we have failed to recruit any chaplains other than RC – no offence, reverend readers! Thank you to those who pledged money to fly Fr Joe from Kenya to join us. It was a great act of kindness. The list was over-subscribed so I only had to call in two thirds of what was pledged. I gather Fr Bob Taylerson will be joining us for a while. Try to keep him off climbing frames and the like, he tends to be a bit reckless if I remember right.
It will be good to get back into the swing of things, enjoying what is good for mind and body: faith, fellowship, friends, food and even feet.
I look forward to seeing many of you very soon.
Love and God bless, John
Pilgrimage Contacts
The Pilgrimage can be contacted via
DABCEC, 4 Southgate drive, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 6RP
Co-ordinator - John Lamb
Bookings Secretary – Pat Donachie
Newsletter editor - Mike Kanssen
Mailbase manager: Thomas Yeung,
Web Sites: http://www.thepilgrims.org.uk (Aidan's)
http://www.pilgrimsprogress.org.uk (Danny's)
Reunion Host Needed!
We are still in need of someone to host this years reunion if you know a suitable reunion venue (for a weekend just prior to end of BST, preferably.) and feel you could help out please contact one of the committee ASAP.
More for the Pilgrimage Archives
Brenda Dillon’s daughter has kindly passed Brenda’s extensive collection of pilgrimage photographs to us to use as we see fit. Sorting them will be quite a trip down memory lane as they must go back many years and Brenda never spared the film. They will be joining the Pilgrimage Archives, which Aidan and helpers have already put considerable time into assembling. They represent a lot of work, prayer and blisters – long may they grow! Many thanks to all concerned.
Some of the archive material is available at Aidan's website, including a selection of old newsletters, reports (with photos) from some of the earlier pilgrimages & an entertaining statistics section covering all pilgrimages to date. In addition for those (web enabled) who are unable to join the walking this year (or are only going partway). Aidan is planning to repeat his "Pilgrims Live" running diary, on a limited 2 weeks only basis, from 17th August, at www.thepilgrims.org.uk
Pilgrim e-mail list
Could anyone who has joined Aidan's Pilgrim e-mail list, and subsequently changed e-mail address - please let him have the new address so that I can update the list and avoid all the "failed to deliver" messages! - Anyone else who wishes to join the list can do so by dropping Aidan a line (with their e-mail address of course).
Next committee meeting
The AGM scheduled for 22nd Sept. at Redhill. This is the open meeting, all pilgrims are welcome.
A preview of Lastingham
In the small village of Lastingham, a monastery was founded
in 654 by St Cedd, and flourished until the Danes destroyed it in the ninth
century. In 1078, Stephen, the Abbot of Whitby, persuaded William I to restore
Lastingham, and he set to work on the abbey. William built the crypt, which can
still be seen down the stairs. However Stephen and his monks left abruptly to
set up a new monastery in York, leaving only the crypt and the apse of the
church complete. Amazingly, the crypt has survived unaltered over the centuries.
Lastingham Church Lidsty Cross - Above Lastingham
Pilgrim News
Congratulations to Lesley and John Brennan, who are expecting their first child; due on Lesley's Birthday (8th Sept) Best wishes and love to all!
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John Lamb apologises for not inviting you all to his ordination as deacon on the 14th June. His excuse is that by the time parishioners, family, deanery clergy, diocesan deacons and fellow students were accounted for things were decidedly cosy at St Mary’s, Rydes Hill. Please forgive him.
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Former pilgrim Ann Pollington has been ordained – congratulations and prayers!
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Geoff started walking on the last day of his Easter pilgrimage (Peg Leg of Student Cross), however we feel he's still rather slow over longer distances & this together with the fact that Jess is expecting No.2 (in late October) prevent us from joining you, though we might somehow manage a day visit or two?
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Father David Russell, ex apothecary, fine judge of old buildings and raconteur, found the call of the altar stronger than the call to the dispensary and was ordained Priest on the 31st March 1978. Pilgrims are welcome to join the celebration of his 25 years as a priest at 6.30 p.m. at St John the Baptist Church, Brighton, so put it in the back of your diary now. In anticipation, to mark this event he is giving us a Daily Roman Missal for use on our pilgrimages. Thanks, David, that is a very happy thought
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Tom McNerney writes:
This was intended just to be a quick note to let you know of my new address...but I thought I might as well add a brief synopsis of my life since 1982 which was my second pilgrimage (Buckfast 2) and probably the last most of the other pilgrims saw of me!
Since then I have graduated (1985), been married (1990), divorced and moved to New York (1994), married again and returned to the UK (1996) and now have a son, Alasdair, who arrived in August 2000.
I have not forgotten the Pilgrim spirit - seeing the pictures of Patrick's 40th party it seems some things never change (or mature?) and I wonder how many of the 1980s crowd are still going strong on the walks? Speaking as someone who remembers the 26 1/2 mile day (and some other long ones) on Buckfast 2 I'm sad to see the walks are shorter now, tho' the good Lord knows my feet would be less resilient these days too - and my back less inclined to suffer sleeping on the hard floors of church halls.
Finally, best wishes to Pilgrims all, young and old, those who remember me and those I have never met Cheers Tom
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