Pilgrimage to Bury St Edmunds Inspires Parishioners

On Saturday 21 June, parishioners from Our Lady of Perpetual Succour and St Edmund’s, Hunstanton with St Cecilia’s, Dersingham undertook a pilgrimage to Bury St Edmunds in honour of one of their patronal saints.

In this Jubilee Year of Hope, the parish chose to shape their pilgrimage around the six themes of Hope, drawing upon prayers, information, insights and reflections specially provided for the Jubilee.

The journey began prayerfully on the coach with the recitation of a full Rosary incorporating the Hopeful Mysteries: Creation, Abraham’s Sacrifice, The Great Flood, The Exodus, and The Immaculate Conception. Alongside these meditations, the Jubilee Prayer and the theme of Care for Creation were also observed. To mark the tenth anniversary of Laudato Si’, the pilgrims sang a hearty rendition of the hymn Laudato Si’, originally written in 1981. The chorus, derived from a traditional Italian melody, with verses added by Damien Lundy, served as a joyful reminder of the Lord’s wonderful gift of creation.

Upon arrival in Bury St Edmunds, Mass was celebrated at St Edmund’s Catholic Church by Canon Peter Rollings, assisted by Fr Henry McCarthy. The group were particularly inspired by the Gospel reading of the day which — providentially — centred on hope and trust in God. This provided an opportunity to deepen reflection and prayer on the theme of Food Poverty.

The pilgrimage continued at the Cathedral of St Edmund, where the Reverend Canon Matthew Vernon welcomed the parish warmly and granted the use of the magnificent Chancel. Here, parishioners gathered to consider the issue of Modern Slavery. The Cloisters offered a peaceful setting for lunch.

Afterwards, the group made their way to the Church of St Mary’s for a short time of prayer and reflection focused on Managing Debt.

A visit to the Holocaust Memorial in the Abbey Gardens followed, providing a poignant space to reflect on the theme of Forgiveness, accompanied by hymns and prayers.

Throughout the day, Canon Peter shared his wealth of historical knowledge about the town and its sacred sites, greatly enriching the pilgrimage experience.

After a long and very hot day, the sight of the air-conditioned coach was most welcome. The return journey provided a fitting time to contemplate the final theme of the pilgrimage: Rest and Worship.

The pilgrimage was a grace-filled occasion, drawing together prayer, learning, fellowship and reflection in celebration of this Jubilee Year of Hope.

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