From 7 to 14 July a group mainly from St Nicolas followed in the footsteps of the Celtic saints, albeit by coach, on a pilgrimage of Celtic sites including Durham, Iona and Holy Island. Here some of the pilgrims give their highlights: A week of contrasts, with prayer, fellowship and laughter, early starts and long coach journeys, cooked breakfasts and quiet compline in St Chad's college chapel, driving rain and bright breezy days, ancient monastic ruins still alive with the spirit of those much-travelled Celtic saints, problems with coaches, wide skies and sweeping views across bays and beaches to distant islands - Farne, Ailsa Craig, Staffa and the Hebrides. Though the visits we made to the islands of Lindisfarne and Iona were special. They both are 'thin places', where the presence of God seems very close. The highlight for me was the simple communion service taken by Bishop David Hope in St Paul's church in Jarrow. We were in the Saxon chancel, built with stone taken from a nearby Roman fort. It had been the chapel of the monastery where Bede spent most of his life. Opposite me was a small round window filled with fragments of excavated Saxon glass, said to be the oldest in Europe. I had a powerful sense of the continuity of worship down the ages, of the steadfastness of the Celtic Christians, and how we, in our generation, are called to keep faith with them. Margaret Perkin
Durham Cathedral is magnificent, with its massive Norman pillars, each incised with a different design (there's a mistake in the pattern of one of them) and the tombs of Bede and Cuthbert. At Jarrow, we visited the exhibition, Bede's World, then crossed the green to enjoy a simple Eucharist at St. Paul's, where Bede started his service to God as a boy of seven in AD 680, and remained there into his old age. He used the same recess in the church wall to place the bread and wine as we were using. . We were moving in his space and I was very aware of his presence, brought to life by the account of a dedicated churchwarden. Our knowledge of the Celtic saints comes from Bede's writings and there is a very readable translation of his book published by Penguin, which accompanied me on this pilgrimage. Iris Lloyd
Although I am sure that for most of us Durham and Iona are places that will remain special to all of us, there are two which I will never forget.
Seeing the places associated with the Celtic Saints was very moving at times and even more so at St. Paul's Church, Jarrow. It was here in the Chancel where Bede would have worshipped that we had Communion led by Bishop David. The place was full of atmosphere and I was very aware of the wave of prayer which must have gone to God from this place over the centuries.
For me it was also the visit to Ripon which stirred happy memories. Some of you will know that my first husband Alan Fox had been a Lay Reader for many years until his untimely death in 1989. For part of that time in the 60's he was a Reader in the Ripon Diocese and it was in Ripon Cathedral where he received his licence to preach when we moved from Birmingham. We had annual Readers services there but the crypt which is the medieval part of the building was always closed. However on our visit it was open and at last I saw part of the church which St. Wilfrid would have known. It took 40 years but I finally saw it.
We also had a short service in the Chapel of the Resurrection which was special.
This pilgrimage had highs and lows but the friendships renewed and strengthened and the fun and laughter will be remembered always.
Thank you Lesley for organising this motley crew! Janet Ruckman
The highlight for me was most unexpected, coming right at the end of the week. On the journey back to Newbury, we stopped at Ripon Cathedral built on the site of St Wilfrid's church. We had a lovely welcome there and our welcomer, Loretta, offered us the use of the Chapel of the Resurrection built in the undercroft. The atmosphere was so quiet and peaceful that I accepted immediately and decided we would have a quiet time there. We gathered at 10.30 and Loretta gave us a short talk about the chapel and led us in prayer. She then left us alone and we had a time of silence. God was so close - it was definitely a 'thin place'. We were surrounded by holiness. After what seemed an age, and yet no time at all, Janet Ruckman led us in the song 'Be still and know that I am God', a very fitting choice. We finished with a few personal prayers and the Grace. For me it was a perfect end to the pilgrimage. Lesley Park
As well as memories of all the places we visited and worshipped in I have a very special personal memory.
On the way back from Oban we celebrated Holy Communion in a clearing just off the main road near Dalmally at the foot of Ben Lui. This held special memories for me because I stayed in Dalmally with my boys Stephen and Neil in the late 1970's. Here we explored and climbed Ben Lui and Ben Cruachan. It was lovely to see the hills again and remember happy times. Chris Ruckman
I have three lasting impressions of our pilgrimage this summer. Firstly the most stunning natural beauty - Loch Lomond, the mud flats at Lindisfarne with its huge skies, the dramatic mountains, lush greenery, long horizons, the sunlight on water as we crossed to Mull and Iona, the soul-restoring qualities that nature possesses and an understanding of the Celtic saints' wish to be remote. Secondly the carved stone crosses themselves, a tangible reminder of early devotion within a specific cultural context and with puzzling little details for historians to argue about! And thirdly, but most important of all, the journey itself, the act of journeying with fellow travellers. Well done St Nic's - I am already looking forward to the next trip! Julia Morgan |
