Virginia Episcopalian Magazine Fall 2012 Issue | Page 26

New Friendships Forged from Youth Pilgrimage
Stuart Haynes, Director of Communications, Diocese of Liverpool
Young people from the Diocese of Liverpool and the Diocese Virginia are
celebrating new friendships as they reflect on time together as part of a unique,
two-year-long pilgrimage.

It all began 12 months ago when
both dioceses established similar
groups who have kept in touch,
prayed for each other and planned the
pilgrimage using social networking.
Most recently, youth from Grace & Holy
Trinity, Richmond and Immanuel Old
Church, Mechanicsville visited Liverpool
for a week of spiritual, practical and
social engagements, including:
• Visits to the Liverpool Cathedral,

St. Asaph Cathedral and
Westminster Abbey;
• Planning and delivering assemblies in

both primary and secondary schools;
• Community mission projects including

speaking at a lunch club and organizing
a “Swap Day” (a partnership between
the church and the local authority
aimed at reducing landfill).
Leaders reported a real mix between
the English and American young people
as the week progressed and the group
became really unified. Leaders also
witnessed significant spiritual growth
in the pilgrims as the time progressed.

“This was no holiday or even
an exchange visit,” said the Rev.
Malcolm Rogers of Liverpool, one
of the trip’s organizers. The pilgrims
have had an intense and, at times,
demanding journey working and
worshipping together, growing in their
understanding of each other’s walk with
God and how that relates to their own.
Nowhere did we see this more than in
the final worship with queues of people
wanting to share their reflections during
an open mic session.”

Rogers’ comments were echoed in
the reflections of the young people.

“I was given the chance to meet new
24

Virginia Episcopalian / Fall 2012

Members of the group from Virginia make a visit to Westminster Abbey, along with host the
Rev. Malcolm Rogers, back row far right.

people and to share my faith with others.
When anyone asked what we were doing,
we had a chance to speak about God,”
said one participant. Another added, “I
feel like I’ve been on a journey exploring
my faith.” One of the American staff
leaders noted, “It was great to visit you,
experience new forms of worship, meet
new people and make new friends. I felt
God was present in all that we did.”

The young pilgrims have grown
in confidence as they worked on
various community projects and
were challenged to design and deliver
assemblies on themes such as selfawareness and anti-bullying. “They really
excelled and surprised themselves” said
Rogers. “Before the pilgrimage, some
would hardly say a word and they ended
up sharing stories with hundreds in an
assembly.” In her journal one pilgrim
added ‘I feel like for the first time I
have discovered my true self before
God’, another said ‘I don’t know how
to describe this but I feel better about
myself, about life and about God.’

Rogers and his team are now hard

at work raising money for the return
leg to Virginia. There, all 44 pilgrims will
experience a visit to the White House,
and meet some of the US decision
makers, as well as working in a soup
kitchen before finally joining other youth
at the diocesan camps at Shrine Mont.

The pilgrims are doing a lot of
work to raise the $50,000-plus needed
for this trip with a range of creative
fundraising ideas, including a plan to
cycle the equivalent distance between
Liverpool and Richmond, Va. Clergy and
other adults from around the area are
abseiling down the Cathedral whilst
others still are baking, organizing
concerts and prayerfully giving what
they can.

“This is a tremendous, once-in-alifetime opportunity for these young
people to grow emotionally, spiritually
and in their understanding of the
world,” said Rogers. “I am delighted
we have had a successful trip and
pray that we raise enough for what
promises to be a wonderful second
part of the pilgrimage.” t