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Teesdale Riverside Pilgrimage Launches

 

Two days of walking the Teesdale Riverside Pilgrimage

10-11th September 2022

 

Those who enjoy outdoor spaces often have no religious motivation – yet many also never anticipate making space for a physical journey can also inspire major changes in their life. In recent years, the Camino de Santiago, one of the most well-travelled pilgrimage routes, has seen record numbers with many perhaps surprisingly not mentioning religion as the sole reason for taking part. Many pilgrims attend for a myriad of reasons though they tend to almost all report participating and letting themselves become immersed in nature gains them positivity, fulfilment and time for reflection. Pilgrimage is often seen as this ‘spring of well-being’ and for those pilgrims with religion an especially arduous pilgrimage may be a method of bearing witness to their faith. Devotion is causa.

 

As part of the Pilgrimage programme, this year, St Mary’s, as part of Barnard Castle Deanery, are running a two day walking pilgrimage on September 10th and 11th – starting at St Mary’s Church, Barnard Castle (by the cheese market) at 9:30am on Saturday 10th and following the River Tees towards Whorlton, aiming to arrive by the early afternoon to visit the church and inviting pilgrims to pause for reflection en-route by a guide who will bring historical and natural world observations to the group. Transport will be provided back to Barnard Castle for pilgrims taking part.

 

On the Sunday, the group starts at St Mary’s, Whorlton and departs at 1pm and continues towards Winston, visiting the pilgrimage church of St Andrew’s which stands prominent on the hill overlooking the valley, before the group departs on the riverside path towards Gainford Spa and on to St Mary’s Well just as pilgrims in years past. Upon arrival at St Mary’s Gainford, a pilgrimage service will be held at 5:30pm to commemorate both the inaugural Teesdale Riverside Pilgrimage route as well as the Lindisfarne Pilgrimage – before pilgrims can be transported back to Whorlton if they wish to rejoin their transport.

 

Accompanying the walking event, they are showing a ‘Virtual Pilgrimage’ at both St Mary’s, Barnard Castle (9:40am on Saturday) and St Mary’s, Gainford from (4:00pm on Sunday 11th) prior to the walking party’s arrival, to recognise that pilgrimage is not just for the able bodied who can walk many miles a day – but a journey all can take part and connect with. Within our communities there are many unable to walk several rugged miles, such as families or those limited by long Covid and they have put together a film-making team to showcase the route and highlight many of the places which will be visited by the walking party over the two days with a reflective, thoughtful piece to accentuate the occasion. They encourage you to join either the walking party or attend the Virtual Pilgrimage showing at the church.

Download event details

By Rev'd Canon Eileen Harrop, Canon of Pilgrimage & Tom Deakin, Pilgrimage Lead

 

 

First published on: 5th September 2022
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