The second East Anglian Inter Faith Pilgrimage took place on Saturday 1st April 2017, when over 70 pilgrims including Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Jews and Pagans from Norwich, Ipswich, Cambridge, Wisbech, Lowestoft, Peterborough and from the local Walsingham Deanery met at Walsingham.
The Pilgrimage started with a Catholic Mass at the Catholic Shrine, co-celebrated by Monsignor John Armitage, Rector of the Shrine, Father Michael Rear who was leading the Pilgrimage and Deacon Paul Hirons. This was followed by a shared lunch.
After lunch some 60 of the 70 plus pilgrims walked one and a quarter miles along the Pilgrims Way to Little Walsingham, stopping at 6 ‘stations’ for time to reflect about our world today.
Stop 1 Reflection - Our changing world
Here Sean Finlay from Wisbech Inter Faith Council read this passage from Nostra Aetate a Roman Catholic Document:
“In her task of promoting unity and love among men, indeed among nations, [the Church] considers above all in this declaration what men have in common and what draws them to fellowship.”
Stop 2 Reflection - Our local environment.
Brain Keegan from the Catholic Diocese of East Anglia read out words written by Angeles Arrien:
“Many … peoples of the world recognise that there are four places in nature where you can find deep peace and remember who you really are. One is in the deep woods; one is in the desert; one in the mountains and one near the ocean.”
Stop 3 Reflection - Our pilgrimage
Bharat Khetani from Wisbech Inter Faith Council read a passage from Bhagavad-Gita, Chapter 3:
“Our true goal is the spiritual journey, not the material journey. 1) Keep the spiritual goal always at the forefront. 2) Offer all actions to the Lord. 3) Don’t be concerned about the result. 4) Be free from possessiveness. 5) Be calm. One who follows the Way of Righteousness reaches the Goal of Life.”
Stop 4 Reflection - The blessings of nature
A reading from the Sikh scripture provided by Jaspal Singh Chairman of Peterborough Inter Faith Council was read by Canon Mathew Bradbury from St Mary’s and St Paul’s Anglican Church in Wisbech:
“Air is the Guru, water the Father, earth the Great Mother, and day and night the female and male nurses, in whose lap the entire world play.”
Stop 5 Reflection - Walking together
At this station Di Nicholas, the Liberal Jewish representative on the Peterborough Inter Faith Council, shared with the Pilgrims a reading from the Jewish Torah:
“And Adonai went before them in a pillar of cloud by day, to guide them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, that they might travel day and night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.”
Stop 6 Reflection - World-mothering air
The walk ended with the following reading from the Qur’an spoken by Zahid Akbar, Secretary of the Peterborough Inter Faith Council:
“And (remember) when the angels said, “O Mary, truly God has chosen thee and purified thee, and has chosen thee above the women of the worlds. O Mary! Be devoutly obedient to thy Lord, prostrate, and bow with those who bow”
Those that walked then joined with those who were unable to walk at the Anglican Shrine for the Sprinkling Service celebrated by Fr Andreas Wenzel the Shrine Priest.
Brian Keegan, the Lead for Inter Faith Relations in the Catholic Diocese and also a member of Peterborough Inter Faith Council one of the joint organisers said:
“I was delighted that so many Pilgrims from all the Major Faiths, as well as the Chair of Cambridge Inter Faith Group, who is a Pagan, were able to join us for this Pilgrimage and share with us from their sacred texts reading which enabled us to reflect together about the problems facing our world today and pray in our own ways for peace.”
Brian also thanked Chris Woods from Norwich Inter Faith Link who had suggested the idea of a walk with reflections but who was unable to join the pilgrims on the day as well as the help received from both the Anglican and Catholic Shrines.
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