15 intrepid pilgrims led by Fr Chad experienced a unique retreat experience 5-9 May walking in the footsteps of the saints in some of Yorkshire’s sacred sites.
Each day began with Morning Prayer and Mass at Ampleforth Abbey and ended with Evening Prayer at the Abbey and a time for shared reflection on the day’s events. During the day, there were stops for scripture readings linked to the birds at Bempton, the trees en route to Rievaulx, the ruins and gardens at Fountains, the river leading into Ripon, as well as hymns and psalms, as everyone in turn in carried the cross at the front of the pilgrimage. There were times for walking in silence and times for walking in pairs.
On the first day the pilgrims travelled to the East Riding of Yorkshire to visit the shrine of the 14th century Saint John of Bridlington. He was born in 1319 at Thwing, near Bridlington, and after studies at Oxford University he joined the Augustinian community at Bridlington Priory. He was elected Prior in 1356 and served the community for in that role for 17 years. He died on 10 October 1379.
On the second day, the pilgrims walked from the ruins of the Cistercian Fountains Abbey to Ripon Cathedral, with its Anglo-Saxon crypt of Saint Wilfrid, the oldest surviving Anglo-Saxon crypt in any English cathedral, founded in 672 AD.
The third day walk was from Hawnby to the 12th century Rievaulx Abbey and to the home of Saint Aelred, Abbot of Rievaulx from 1147 until his death in 1167.
Fr Chad will lead another pilgrimage ‘Where the Saints Have Trod’ in October this year, taking in Lastingham, where Saints Cedd and Chad ministered in the 7th century; Ugthorpe, the centre of St Nicholas Postage’s mission work, and Whitby Abbey, where St Hilda was abbess from 657.
If you would like to know more about retreats at Ampleforth Abbey, please visit our website: https://www.ampleforthabbey.org.uk/retreats
