My plan to write a diary of our pilgrimage has unfortunately not come to pass. A lack of free time, along with intermittent internet, has kept me away from posting. Instead I will  post some pictures on the blog part of my website. I guess I am behind the curve in any case, as some pilgrims will already have posted to Facebook their own experiences. 

Well, we’ve come a long way in one week. Our first stop was Lincoln. The picture above shows some of the pilgrims outside the cathedral. After Delaware, it felt cold, although the temperature has warmed up since then and has been perfectly mild ever since. We were in time for the 12:30 pm Eucharist. The dean and server were surprised and delighted to welcome our large group. Later we went into the cafe for lunch, and we then explored the cathedral space. Lincoln cathedral has a peaceful and airy feeling, very conducive to prayerful pondering. Its Stations of the Cross are very moving.

We then spent four days in York, where we heard the Christ Church choir sing at York Minster. It was great to share that time with the choir and musicians. York has a personality all of its own. On Saturday it was humming with visitors - apparently it is a favorite destination for hen parties! Also, there was a horse racing meet that weekend, so the city was full of people, including witches and wizards. It was like being in the middle ages in the 21st century. 

In the middle of York stands the huge cathedral of York Minister. We attended Evensong every day and some of us attended morning prayer every morning at 7:30 am. The dean and verger seemed glad to have us with them. Sunday morning Holy Eucharist saw a full church with our choir leading the singing. Heavenly! 

On Monday we visited the remains of Rievaulx Abbey, where Ruth led a powerful open-air meditation in the ruins of the chapel. Later we boarded a steam train which traveled across the moors to Whitby on the Yorkshire coast. Whitby is famous for the Council of Whitby, held in AD 664, which debated whether to follow the Celtic or Roman tradition when calculating the day of Easter. In the end, they went with Rome. Like York, Whitby was filled with holiday-makers and tourists. We found excellent fish and chips in a nice restaurant, while avoiding the aggressive seagulls that can snatch the food out of your hands if you aren’t watchful.

Yesterday, on the festival day of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, we visited magnificent Durham Cathedral - an awe inspiring place, as are all the cathedrals. We had a guided tour and then ended up in the Shrine of St. Cuthbert, where I gave a short meditation to our group (and some others who happened to be there and decided to stay). The meditation is given below. You can try it for yourself.

“Take some deep breaths and allow your body to relax. Begin to let go of the tensions in your body. Let us pray
Be with us, Spirit of God.
Nothing can separate us from your love.
Breathe on us, breath of God.
Fill us with your saving power.
Speak in us, wisdom of God.
Bring strength, healing and peace.
The Lord is here.
His Spirit is with us.

“When St. Cuthbert went to Farne Island he built a guest room for God. Hospitality lies at the heart of our Christian life. I want you to think about the ways you can provide a dwelling place for God in your hearts.
Jesus calls on you to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Today, we follow the example of Mary of Bethany, who sat silently at the Lord’s feet and listened.
If you can, spend some moments cleating your mind of distractions and spend time with God. See if you can, to some extent, sweep clean the room of your mind and allow the silence to communicate God’s voice.
‘Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.’”

The group then prayed together for ten minutes. 

Last night before dinner we had a group meeting to share our thought and reflections on the pilgrimage so far. Then after dinner we relaxed by playing Quiddler and Scrabble. 

Today we travel to two new places: the Auckland Project and Ushaw Historic House.

With every blessing

Father David