Travel

Children and young adults well understand the benefit of going to school. In fact, whenever I went out for a walk in the village around the mission, young boys or girls approached me and told me that they were concerned that their families could not afford to pay the school fees. They were worried that they could not stay at school, and they may be forced to go back to village life. This would mea... Read More

After water, access to food is the second priority in Turkana and fishing has been a positive development for the people, introduced by the mission. In fact, in early 2010 the mission was able to buy a small boat. They gave it to some local men, and they learned to fish. Now, there are many boats in the lake, and fishing, in addition to animal farming, is one of the main sources of food and revenu... Read More

Next to the mission, there are two villages where a few thousand people live on a semi-permanent basis. Their houses are huts made with reeds or straw, or made with iron sheets, or a combination of the two. There are many more villages scattered around the vast area that makes up the Todonyang parish. It takes hours to drive across the parish and most people walk for a full day, or even days, to g... Read More

When we reached the Todonyang mission, we received a very warm welcome by Father Wycliffe and Father Victor, who live in the mission and took care of us during our stay in Turkana. Immediately, I realised that I was in a different world. If you have never been in a mission in a remote area, you might wonder what a mission is like. That depends on when the mission was set up and, I am sure, many ot... Read More

Imagine the place most different to the one we are accustomed to: that's Turkana, the remotest and poorest area of Kenya. Think of the things we take for granted: water, food, electricity, a home with a bed, a toilet, a kitchen, hospitals, schools, roads, shops. In Turkana, these basics are absent, or at least, in the way we know them. It's not just society that's different; the people are differe... Read More

'A pilgrimage on foot is a great aid for rediscovering the value of silence, effort and simplicity of life. In the coming year, pilgrims of hope will surely travel the ancient and more modern routes in order to experience the Jubilee to the full.' (Spes non confundit 5) To celebrate the Jubilee Year, one of Westminster's diocesan initiatives is to invite you to travel in the steps of the martyrs a... Read More

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, has invited Christians to return to the Holy Land on pilgrimage, saying their presence makes residents feel part of the universal Church. Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa made the invitation in a video message recorded from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. He was joined by the Custos of the Holy Land, Fr Francesco P... Read More

Going on pilgrimage to Patmos is a transformative journey, it offers the opportunity to engage deeply with the spiritual riches of the island, unpack the Book of Revelation, and walk in the footsteps of St John. Whether you're seeking a deeper understanding of your faith, a peaceful retreat, or the chance to reflect and pray in one of the most sacred places in Christian history, Patmos offers some... Read More

Would you like to walk in the steps of St Thomas More, St John Henry Newman, St Dunstan or St Ethelburga? The current series of Catholic History Walks, led by the author, broadcaster and historian, Joanna Bogle, cover Chelsea, City/Monument, Richmond, Islington and Westminster. They delve into many historical events, famous people, heroes and heroines, Kings and Queens, saints and sinners. A Wal... Read More

St Philomena's Way is a Pilgrim Way for the Diocese of Shrewsbury from the Cathedral of Our Lady Help of Christians & Saint Peter of Alcantara in Shrewsbury to the Shrine Church of Ss Peter & Paul and St Philomena in New Brighton. St Philomena was a C4 virgin martyr whose remains were discovered in 1802 in the Catacomb of Priscilla. She is the patron saint of infants, babies, and youth. Th... Read More

Before Covid, I used to go on pilgrimage every year and came to love the spiritual dimension of the pilgrimage, that never failed to enhance even the most familiar destinations. For at least a year I had been longing to go to Patmos, the small Dodecanese island which my favourite apostle, John, had been exiled to in 95AD and where, in his eighties, he wrote the extraordinary Book of Revelation. On... Read More

The theme for the Catholic Holy Year 2025 is 'Pilgrims of Hope', and the theme of the global Season of Creation (Sept/Oct 2024) is 'To Hope and Act with Creation'. Hope is one of the three great virtues and in his catechesis of 13 May 2024, Pope Francis reminded us that "Hope, for a Christian, is Jesus himself" and that "we sin against hope when we remain anchored in the past, forgetting that God ... Read More

The Holystone Way is a Pilgrim Way for the Diocese of Hexham & Newcastle. The destination of the Way is the Lady's Well at Holystone. The C5 missionary St Ninian is said to have preached here and to have baptised converts to Christianity in the well pool. St Paulinus is also linked to the Shrine. The route is 53.9 miles long, involves gentle climbs and passes through some remote countryside. F... Read More

Colette Joyce, Justice and Peace co-ordinator with Westminster Diocese is currently on a pilgrimage to Jordan with Friends of the Holy Land. The visit has been hosted by the Jordanian Tourist Board who are keen to show that Jordan is still a country of peace and safety, despite the regional conflicts raging all around its borders. Colette writes: If there is one word that springs to mind after my... Read More