Saints of England pilgrimage
Bookings are being taken for the Landings UK and Farm Street Jesuits Saints of England Pilgrimage, which takes place from June 8th - 13th 2018.
The group will follow in the footsteps of St Aidan, St Cuthbert, St Oswald, St Wilfred, The Venerable Bede and others, exploring Lindisfarne Priory on Holy Island, Hexham, Durham and York. For more details see the itinerary and contact details below:
ITINERARY
DAY ONE: London - Newcastle - Alnwick
We transfer by van from the hotel for the morning train from London Kings Cross, with the opportunity to have lunch on the train, arriving in Newcastle in the early afternoon. Our coach takes us to our hotel, the Alnwick Lodge, in Alnwick, Northumbria, for a two-night stay with dinner at the White Swan Hotel.
DAY TWO: Holy Island and Lindisfarne Priory
After breakfast, we drive over the causeway to Holy Island, when the tide is out, to visit the Lindisfarne Priory, founded by St Aidan in 635, but destroyed by the Danes in the ninth century. It was not until the 11th century that it was rebuilt by the Benedictines of Durham, later falling into ruin again after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1535. Stones from the Priory were used in the construction of Lindisfarne Castle, built in 1549 as protection against Scottish raids. It too fell into ruin and was restored in 1900 by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the designer of the Cenotaph in Whitehall and Campion Hall, Oxford. We celebrate Mass on the island, with free time and lunch on own. We stop at Seahouses for a walk along the seashore and possibly tea before returning to Alnwick with dinner at the hotel.
DAY THREE: Hexham - Durham
After breakfast, the coach takes us to Hexham, originally named Hagultald, from a neighbouring stream, the Hagult. St Wilfred's greatest achievement was building a monastery here between 672 and 678. The church was reputed to be the finest north of the Alps. Largely destroyed by the Danes in 810, Wilfred's tiny crypt remains where one can see the building materials used that date from the Roman occupation. We celebrate Mass at St Mary's Church (10am) and continue to Hexham Abbey for a tour. After lunch (at choice), we continue to the great Cathedral City of Durham and check into the King's Lodge Inn with dinner at the hotel.
DAY FOUR: Durham
After breakfast, we visit Durham Cathedral. With the ravages of the Danes in the 9th century, the monks, with the head of St Oswald and the body of St Cuthbert, wandered for seven years before settling at Chester-le-Street. When miraculous signs were given to St Cuthbert's body, it was later moved to Durham. A stone chapel was built over the tomb and Bishop Aldhon began a great church on an eminence at a bend in the River Wear. This building was later replaced by a Norman Cathedral dedicated to Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 1104 the shrine of St Cuthbert was transferred to the new Cathedral and now lies in a refectory behind the high altar. His stole, maniple and pectoral cross can be seen in the Cathedral library. The Venerable Bede's shrine was destroyed at the Reformation, but his tomb can still be seen in the Galilee Chapel. We have a guided tour of the Cathedral and celebrate Mass followed by lunch (included). Afterwards, we travel by train to York where we check into Hotel 53 in York and enjoy free time with dinner on our own.
DAY FIVE: York
After breakfast, we celebrate morning Mass at the Chapel of St Margaret Clitherow, the Pearl of York, one of the forty martyrs of England and Wales. We walk through the Shambles and continue to York Minster with a guided tour to hear the history of Christianity in the North of England. The afternoon is at leisure to explore the area, especially the Jorvick Viking Centre, which holds excavated houses and objects, from the twelfth century. In the evening we celebrate the conclusion of our pilgrimage with a festive Yorkshire dinner.
DAY SIX: York - London
After breakfast, we celebrate the farewell Mass at the Bar Convent and visit the Museum with a guided tour by Sr Agatha as well as free time to enjoy the city before our return transfer by train to London King's Cross.
For more information please speak to Fr Dominic or, to request a brochure and to book, contact Pax Travel direct on (020)-7485-3003; info@paxtravel.co.uk
See also: www.paxtravel.co.uk/landings-uk