from Fr Simon Lumby ssc
Operations Director
I am delighted to be able to welcome you to our first
Pilgrimage Brochure.
I have been utterly taken aback by the number of people
who, since we ‘went live’ with the new website back in
November last year, have expressed such interest in our
‘Pilgrimage Fellowship’ - something that seems to have
taken on a new and exciting vibrancy in the last few months.
Rejoicing now in the rather exalted title of ‘Operations Director’, my rôle within East
Midlands Pilgrimages has been to bring together some of the experience I have gained
in organising several pilgrimages for Parishes in which I have served and to formalise
this experience and knowledge in such a way that will not only keep our pilgrimages
well organised and run, but importantly at a time when none of us have money
growing on trees, to use some of that knowledge to save us all a little money.
pilgrimages are time-consuming in their organisation, and those costs are sometimes a
little unfairly directed at pilgrims, some of whom have a great desire to further enrich
their lives of Christian discipleship but haven't got the financial wherewithal to match.
A pilgrimage is a ritual journey with a hallowed purpose. Every step along the way has
meaning. The pilgrim knows that life giving challenges will emerge. A pilgrimage is not
a holiday; it is a transformational journey during which significant change can and often
does take place. New insights are given. Deeper understanding is attained. New and old
places in the heart are visited. Blessings are received and healing takes place. On return
from the pilgrimage, life is seen with different eyes. Nothing will ever be quite the same
again.
Those of us within the Churches that make up this fellowship have already been
enriched by some of our past pilgrimages - new friendships formed between people
from different congregations, and the sharing of not just the time away but also at the
regular social evenings that have become so popular. In my Parish in Leicester, this has
had the effect of solidifying so much in the spiritual lives of the pilgrims. This in turn has
become a powerful tool in the ongoing work of the missioning our parishes.
I hope you will find this brochure interesting and informative. We are very excited
about our future plans and look forward to welcoming you on future pilgrimages.
With my love and prayers,
3
Welcome
Obviously, such a huge effort doesn't happen by itself. In that I am very grateful to Ross
Copley and Joyce Turley for the quite staggering amount of work that has been
achieved since the return of our Pilgrimage from Lourdes in October, and the rather
inspiring desire to see these endeavours grow and flourish to the glory of God.