The Hallam Diocesan Pilgrimage to Walsingham 2024 took place on Saturday 27th July. Bishop Ralph Heskett was the Main Celebrant. A Coach carrying 60 Pilgrims departed from St Peter in Chains in the early morning; to join others in Walsingham who had journeyed from throughout our diocese.
Here are the reflections of one of those pilgrims, who made the trip on the that coach.
"We are pilgrims, not tourists
After being asked to share my personal experience and reflections on this year’s Annual Pilgrimage of Hallam Diocese I felt honoured. As I know myself being too quick to say yes to million things without thinking, I felt urge to find out whether this is something God wanted me to do. I brought it to prayer and I remembered Mother Theresa’s “Flying novena.” The word came to me “How can you say NO to your sweet Mother?” So it was decided.
This year was my third pilgrimage to Walsingham with the Diocese and every year it has been profoundly different. I come from a place where there’s a strong devotion to Mary, especially when the oldest pilgrimage site in Slovakia is in the neighbouring village. So, after being encouraged by a friend to come and join her to Walsingham I thought it would be interesting to find out more about this English Marian shrine. It also happened to be my birthday on that day. Everyone sang Happy Birthday to me at the end of the mass and I could not have felt more blessed. Last year, I made my own way down which meant leaving the car at the shrine, walking the Mile to the village and then back again with the whole Diocese, but nothing beats travelling down on a coach with other pilgrims. It gives the sense of belonging and provides an opportunity to know each other on a more personal level. We are all so different, quiet or outspoken, confident or less so, funny or serious, sad or cheerful. We have so much to give and learn from each other and yes, we are all invited to come and give thanks, ask for what we need and offer what we have. We accept this invitation and embark physically on the journey to come and to talk to our Mother Mary, often feeling lonely in our own struggles and worries. The pilgrimage, in a special way, allows for the healing to take place by doing it together, we go home heard, reassured, fed and filled with peace. This year, although I come from a local parish in Sheffield, I joined the coach setting off from Doncaster organised by Marian Johnson.
I was impressed by the prayer program. We were invited to contemplate about being pilgrims not tourists. We are pilgrims not just on this particular journey but on our journey of life as such. We ought not to be demanding, comfortable, complaining and entitled like tourists are, but rather, like pilgrims, we ought to grow in compassion, patience, gentleness and love towards others along the way. So apt!
To add, Fr Christian’s homily at the shrine about fish and bread was convicting. We get fed, do we feed others? What is our bread, do we give it up for the good of others and for building up the Church or do we keep it to ourselves whilst others are starving? These words called me to action and think of way I can personally give the bread to someone in my church/Diocese. So much food for thought. I thoroughly enjoyed the day, meeting old friends and making new ones. I got back home knowing again, that my walk of life is never lonely, our Mum takes care of us in such a loving way. I would like to express my gratitude to all those who took part in organising the pilgrimage and to Marian for thoughtfully preparing the reflections.
My hopes for the Hallam Diocese Pilgrimage to Walsingham are that we fall more and more in love with our sweet Mother, that I will be joined by more people from my parish and one day we will go down in at least 5 coaches.
Renata Atkins
Parish of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows at the Foot of the Cross (Slovak community), Sheffield"
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