Canterbury launches partnership with pilgrimages

	Archbishop Welby (left) greets Bishop Trevor Wilmott of Dover and other GPN pilgrims outside the cathedral in Canterbury

The historic cathedral city of Canterbury has launched the Green Pilgrimage Canterbury Partnership bringing together some 40 local sacred sites, pilgrim routes, food producers and tourism authorities in a commitment to making pilgrimage throughout the region environmentally friendly.

The new partnership was launched on Friday October 3, 2014, when around fifty pilgrims converged on Canterbury Cathedral having followed pilgrim routes from five locations: The Shrine of St Augustine in Ramsgate, The National Shrine of St Jude in Faversham, Patrixbourne Church on the Via Francigena, Porchlight’s ‘My Streets’ tour in Canterbury, and on the river from Sandwich. Most had walked but some had been able to use boats to help them on their journey.

Their arrival in Canterbury marked the opening of a weekend of pilgrimage-related activities culminating in a special service in the Cathedral led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby. In his sermon the Archbishop said: “The Green Pilgrimage Network is an inter-faith movement in which Canterbury has an important part, drawing attention to our call to be good stewards of creation. … What difference will such a pilgrimage network make? We do not yet know but it is the beginnings of an encounter to celebrate and recognise that God is in every part of life.”

Hear an audio recording of the Archbishop’s address

Download a PDF document of the full text of the Archbishop’s address

The day of pilgrimages was covered by the local Canterbury Times newspaper.

The Pilgrims Way website has an account of one of the pilgrimages.

The Cathedral has issued a press release about the Archbishop’s address and another about the Green Pilgrimage Canterbury Partnership.

Green Pilgrimage Network

GPN Canterbury Partnership