Wow!: “Pommie pilgrims” in a marathon walking effort to save their historic village church
ANGELA YOUNGMAN reports from the UK on the group’s attempt to walk to every Anglican cathedral in England…
Thousands of faithful attend Palm Sunday celebrations in Jerusalem against a backdrop of war
Jerusalem AP Thousands of Christian faithful attended Palm Sunday celebrations at Jerusalem’s sacred Mount of Olives, marking the first day of Holy Week as conflict surges across the region. Pilgrims waved branches and fronds in the air, items that were placed before Jesus’ feet as he was greeted by cheering crowds during his entrance into […]
New Catholic pilgrim initiative launched in UK
Norwich, UK A new UK pilgrimage initiative has been launched by the Roman Catholic church, using a network of pedestrian routes linking all the cathedrals. Titled ‘Hearts in Search of God’ it is the result of an initiative by former CEO of Caritas UK, Phil McCarthy. Catholic pilgrims walking at Clifton in the UK. PICTURE: […]
The Long Read: Pilgrims yearn to visit isolated peninsula where Catholic saints cared for Hawaii’s leprosy patients
JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER, of Associated Press, reports from Kalaupapa…
Youth Catholics gather in Lisbon, awaiting Pope
Lisbon, Portugal Reuters Waving their countries’ flags and singing, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from all over the world flocked to one of Lisbon’s main parks on Tuesday to mark the start of the world’s largest gathering of young Catholics. “It’s very emotional,” said Brazilian pilgrim Vitor Goncalves, 25, as the event’s opening Mass was […]
Christian faithful celebrate ‘Holy Fire’ under restrictions
Jerusalem AP Christian worshippers thronged the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on Saturday to celebrate the ceremony of the “Holy Fire”, an ancient ritual that sparked tensions this year with the Israeli police. In the annual ceremony that has been observed for over a millennium, a flame taken from Jesus’ tomb is used […]
Pilgrims flock to ancient Holy Land church as Palestinian congregation shrinks
Burqin, West Bank Reuters One of the world’s oldest churches, built on top of a cave in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and festooned with golden icons, attracts thousands of Christian pilgrims every year. But the Church of the Ten Lepers’ own congregation of Palestinian Christians grows ever smaller. Christian worshippers pray during Mass inside St […]
Devotion to Virgin Mary draws millions to Mexico City shrine
Mexico City AP It is the one of the world’s most visited and beloved religious venues – the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, with a circular, tent-shaped roof visible from miles away and a sacred history that each year draws millions of pilgrims from near and far to its hilltop site in Mexico City. […]
Essay: Pilgrims, not patriots
In an essay adapted from his book, ‘The First Thanksgiving’, history professor TRACY MCKENZIE writes that the Pilgrims thought of themselves as temporary travellers in a world that was not their home – much less a nation…
Essay: How medieval Catholic traditions of thanksgiving prayers and feasting shaped the Protestant celebration of Plymouth’s pilgrims
In an article first published on The Conversation, JOANNE M PIERCE, of the College of the Holy Cross, looks at the links between medieval Catholic traditions and today’s Thanksgiving celebration in the US…