This Year's Pilgrimage
Sunday 13th July 2008
Father Kevin,
Parish Priest:
A shrine is traditionally
a place of pilgrimage and reminds us, in an earthly way,
of our spiritual journey of faith.
Through baptism we
embark on a road that is sometimes smooth, sometimes
rough, but we do not journey alone.
As Christians we have
our eyes firmly fixed upon the Kingdom of God as revealed
to us in Scripture and Tradition by Our Lord and Saviour,
Jesus Christ. The message of Our Lady, His Mother, is a
simple one. In John 2:5 she points to her Son and says,
"Do whatever He tells you". And so, it is in
this shrine that we worship God and give honour to the
Theotokos, the God-Bearer. She is a prototype of the
Church in that she gives us an example of discipleship
unparalleled in the history of salvation. She is humble
and courageous, obedient and strong, maternal and
virginal, constantly directing us towards her Son.
The Statue of Our Lady of Glastonbury is carried at the head
of the procession of pilgrims, from the Tor through the
ancient town centre to Glastonbury Abbey for the great Mass
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The procession of clergy from
the ancient Lady Chapel, at the start of Mass
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 from
Glastonbury
Pilgrimage 2002
Bishop Declan Lang of Clifton and guest preacher Bishop Mark
Jabale of Menevia celebrating Mass in Glastonbury Abbey
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Pilgrims gather for Mass in the
Abbey
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The Pilgrimage has
two starts :
1. A Liturgy of the Word
in the Tor Field, commemorating the martyrdom of Blesséd Richard
Whiting, the last Abbot of
Glastonbury, and his fellow martyrs, Blesséd Roger James
and Blesséd John Thorne, followed by a
procession, behind the Statue of Our Lady of Glastonbury,
from the Tor
through the town to the Abbey .
During the procession the Rosary is prayed and hymns are
sung,
2. Rosary, Exposition of the Blesséd Sacrament and Confession in St Mary's Church,
for those who do not wish to walk
to the Tor
The two groups of pilgrims, from the Tor and from the church meet at the Main
Abbey Gate for Mass
in the Abbey Grounds
For more information on the 2008 Pilgrimage programme and
attendance details please press HERE
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