Middlesbrough Pilgrimage Booklet

CAFOD Middlesbrough Pilgrimage Walking with the Northern Saints 26 June to 2 July 2011

The pilgrimage will begin with Mass at the Benedictine Monastery in Osmotherley village at 10.30am Sunday 26 June

Sunday 26 June: Osmotherley to Hutton Rudby

Monday 27 June: Hutton Rudby to Stokesley

Tuesday 28 June: Stokesley to Cathedral

Wednesday 29 June: Cathedral to Redcar

Thursday 30 June: Redcar to Saltburn

Friday 1 July: Saltburn to Runswick Bay

The pilgrimage will conclude with Mass at Whitby Abbey on Saturday 2 July at 2.30pm Celebrant Canon John Lumley

St John of Beverley became Bishop of York; at Harpham, in the East Riding of Yorkshire; and at Beverley on 7th May 721.

In his early life, St John was under the care of Archbishop Theodore who supervised his education and gave him the name of John. He became a member of the Benedictine order and stayed for a time at St Hilda‘s monastery at Whitby. Afterwards, he was renown as a preacher, displayed marked knowledge in expounding Scripture, and taught other subjects.

On 25th August 687, he was consecrated Bishop of Hexham, where he had once led a life of retreat at Erneshowe where he would go for seclusion, especially during Lent.

In 705 John was transferred to York after 18 years serving Hexham. In his new post he was diligent in visitation, considerate towards the poor, and exceedingly attentive to the training of students who he maintained under his personal charge. His pupils included Bede, who he ordained, Berethune, afterwards Abbot of Beverley; Herebald, Abbot of Tynemouth; and Wilfred, John‘s successor. St John established a monastery in Beverley, which became an important ecclesiastical centre. After resigning the See of York to his pupil Wilfred, John retired and spent the remainder of his life with Abbot Berethune, a one time favourite scholar. In 1037, he was canonized by Benedict IX.

Pilgrimage Prayer: As we set out on our pilgrimage today, we ask that by the intercession of the saints of our diocese, we may travel in safety and reach our destination in good health. We remember all the pilgrims who have gone before us, and give thanks for the faith and vision they showed in their lifetime which has been handed down to our age. May God the Father bless us, Jesus, Our Lord be with us and the Holy Spirit guide us to our journey‘s end. Amen

Stage one: The theme for today is Compassion

El Salvador In January we heard about the terrible floods that destroyed so much of the harvest in Puentecitos. For the people in the village, the crops are not only the fruits of their labour, but also the food they need to survive. Rosa Idalia‘s farm was hit especially hard. She says: ―The corn and bean harvest was devastated. Everything rotted or was swept away. We only managed to save four sacks of corn. ―Our worst losses were the vegetables. We needed those to earn money. I felt terrible losing my tomato crop, with so many costs to cover like electricity and water bills. If I had something to sell, I wouldn‘t feel so bad, but I‘ve got my mum‘s operation coming up and I have to contribute‖. In the face of all these challenges, Rosa Idalia sees a ray of hope: ―I am putting my faith in my chickens. I bought them for 70 cents and I‘ll be able to sell them on for about four dollars each. Native chickens make more money – eight dollars – but they sell best at Christmas. Breeding chickens is my greatest hope.‖ For Rosa Idalia and our other friends in Puentecitos, preparing for natural hazards and finding creative ways to make a living can mean the difference between surviving a disaster, or going hungry.

Reflection: Confronted by global poverty and suffering, our fundamental response is compassion. We are deeply affected by the suffering of our brothers and sisters in the global family and alongside them take action to alleviate it. ―Because of our covenant with God, all human beings should consider themselves brothers and sisters.. Human beings are more children of God when they become more brotherly or sisterly to other human beings, and less children of God when they feel less kinship with their neighbours‖. Oscar Romero, 1977 Prayer Compassionate God, You call us into your generous life of justice, a life into which all your people are called to share. Gift us the courage to incarnate your compassion in our lives, so that we too may touch the lives of those who cry out in need by journeying with them side by side. Amen

William, Archbishop of York became a priest, and around 1130 He was Canon and Treasurer of York. In 1142 he was elected Archbishop of York at the insistence of the King, in opposition to the candidature of Henry Murdac, a Cistercian monk. However, there was much controversy over how he was elected to become Archbishop, as there were claims of royal influence and bribery.

Nevertheless, in 1143, the Pope decided that William should be consecrated, if he could clear himself from the accusation of bribery. William proved his innocence so conclusively that the legate consecrated him Archbishop at Winchester in September 1143. He set himself at once to carry out reforms in his diocese, and his gentleness and charity soon won him popularity. However, the new Pope was a Cistercian monk, and favoured Murdac. Complaints were made against William which led to him travelling to Rome. As a result, William‘s partisans in England took an unwise revenge by destroying Fountains Abbey, of which Murdac was now Prior. This angered St. William's enemies, who again approached the Pope, with the result that in 1147 he deposed the archbishop from his seat; and he consecrated Murdac in his stead. St. William devoted himself to prayer and mortification at Winchester till 1153, when the pope and St. Bernard were both dead. He then appealed to the new pope, Anastasius IV, for restoration to his See, a request which the death of Murdac in October made it easier to obtain. St. William having received the pallium, returned to York, where he showed the greatest kindness to the Cistercians who had opposed him, and promised full restitution to Fountains Abbey. But his death, so sudden as to cause suspicion of poison, took place within a few weeks.

Miracles took place at his tomb, and in 1227 he was canonized by Pope Honorius III. In 1283 his relics were translated to a shrine behind the high altar of York Minster, where they remained until the Reformation. His festival is observed in England on 8 June.

Pilgrimage Prayer: As we set out on our pilgrimage today, we ask that by the intercession of the saints of our diocese, we may travel in safety and reach our destination in good health. We remember all the pilgrims who have gone before us, and give thanks for the faith and vision they showed in their lifetime which has been handed down to our age. May God the Father bless us, Jesus Our Lord be with us and the Holy Spirit guide us to our journey‘s end. Amen

Stage two: The theme for today is Solidarity

Cambodia High unemployment? Low pay? No pension? Times may be tough in the UK, but they‘re even tougher for our friends in Samrong Mean Chey. We‘re sorry to report that 20-year-old Dara has had to leave the community to find work. He needs to earn money urgently because his mother is in debt to a credit agency after taking a loan to repair her home. With few jobs available locally, Dara has moved to faraway Kampot Province where he has found work on a construction site. His mother said: ―I‘ve only spoken to Dara once since he left, and he‘s really missing Staff at SCC having cookery lessons home. But he hopes to come back next month.‖

People in Samrong Mean Chey don‘t have benefits or pensions to fall back on, so they rely on our partner Salvation Centre Cambodia (SCC) when times are tough. We‘re delighted to introduce Samy, the new livelihoods officer for SCC. ―We always provide training when we give people a loan,‖ she says, ―And we set up savings groups to help them pay the money back. The relationship between me and members of the community is like between brothers and sisters. It‘s not easy for people to find work here, but I am happy to be helping.‖ Reflection We stand alongside poor and marginalised communities in solidarity, uniting with them in prayer, making their cause our own, sharing our resources, supporting them in their advocacy and challenging the policies and systems that keep them poor.

John Paul II said, ―Solidarity is not a feeling of vague compassion or a shallow sadness but a firm and preserving determination to commit oneself to the common good. It is an attitude squarely opposed to greed and the thirst for power‖. The Social Concerns of the Church, 38—Donder’s Version

Prayer God of Solidarity, when the Word became flesh, you came and stood side by side with all your people, in the midst of their suffering and pain. May we hear your call to stand in solidarity with all of our sisters and brothers and let our faith explode into authentic communion. Amen.

(1556-1586)

Margaret was married to a butcher and lived in the Shambles area of York. She converted to the faith and continually risked her life by harbouring and maintaining priests which led to her being frequently imprisoned, sometimes for two years at a time. Margaret provided two chambers, where she kept priests hidden and had Mass continually celebrated through the thick of the persecution. Some of the priests she kept were martyred and Margaret used to make secret pilgrimages by night to York Tyburn to pray beneath the gibbet for this intention.

She was arrested on 10 March, 1586, on 14 March, she was called before Judges for her crimes but she refused to plead. She was therefore condemned to be pressed to death. She walked barefooted to the tollbooth on Ouse Bridge, as she had left her house and shoes to her daughter Anne, in token that she should follow in her steps. She had been tormented by the ministers and even now was urged to confess her crimes. "No, no, Mr. Sheriff, I die for the love of my Lord Jesus", she answered.

She was laid on the ground, a sharp stone beneath her back, her hands stretched out in the form of a cross and bound to two posts. Then a door was placed upon her, which was weighted down till she was crushed to death. Her last words during an agony of fifteen minutes, were "Jesus! Have mercy on me!"

Margaret Clitherow was canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1970.

Stage three: The theme for today is Partnership

Through our work in Brazil, we are supporting two neighbourhoods in São Paulo. In the Mauá building, 220 homeless families have created a flourishing community in an abandoned hotel. In nearby Divinéia, the housing movement helps local families struggle to win legal rights to decent, affordable homes.

In Sao Paulo, Brazil‘s largest city around two million live in shanty towns, many families sharing just one room, with no proper sewerage, running water or electricity. Dilapidated tenement buildings are home to another million, who struggle to pay exorbitant rents and get the bare necessities of life. Another 15,000 people live on the streets at risk of violence and crime. CAFOD‘s partner APOIO is working to secure accommodation for the people so they can have permanent homes and start building sustainable lives. Reflection We build partnership between poor communities overseas and our supporters at home, recognising the importance of learning from and trusting each other, of receiving as well as giving, and of working alongside each other to change our world. ―It is not just a question of eliminating hunger and reducing poverty. It is not just a question of fighting wretched conditions, though this is an urgent and necessary task. It involves building a human community where people can live truly human lives, free from discrimination. It involves building a human community where liberty is not an idle word, where the needy Lazarus can sit down with the rich man at the same banquet table‖ The Development of People, 47 Prayer Generous God, You can call us into communion, so that we may deepen our awareness of our need for each other. May we recognise the wisdom and gifts in all your people and work in partnership to enable your kingdom to break into our world. Amen

St Paulinus was Archbishop of York.

He was a Roman monk in St. Andrew's monastery at Rome, and was sent by St. Gregory the Great in 601, to help St. Augustine and to carry the pallium to him.

He was mainly based in Kent however he travelled to East Anglia between 616—625, when he accompanied Ethelburga (Aethelburh), the sister of King Eadbald of Kent, when she went to the Northumbrian Court to marry King Edwin, then a pagan.

Before leaving Kent, he was consecrated bishop by St. Justus, Archbishop of Canterbury. He was successful in converting Edwin and large numbers of his people, the king's baptism taking place on 12 April, 627. With the assistance of St. Edwin, he established his see at York and began to build a stone church there. His apostolic labours in instructing and baptizing the people of the north country were unceasing, and tradition perpetuates his ministry at Yeavering, Catterick Bridge, Dewsbury, Easingwold and Southwell. His own name is preserved in the village of Pallingsburn in Northumbria. On the defeat of St. Edwin in 633, Paulinus carried the queen and her children safely to Kent. He devoted himself to the Diocese of Rochester. It was after his flight that he received the pallium from Rome (634), which sent to him as Archbishop to York. He was buried in his church at Rochester, and, on the rebuilding of the cathedral, his relics were translated by Archbishop Lanfranc to a silver shrine where they lay till the Reformation. His festival is observed in England on 10 October, the anniversary of his death.

Stage four: The theme for today is Environmental Justice

Ethiopia Shortage of land in Ethiopia has blighted the lives of farming families for generations. Traditionally, parents have divided land among their children – but it soon becomes too small to share. Landless people must find other ways to make a living. Many are forced to leave their families and travel overseas to find work. Through the provision of water, barren lands are In our work in Ethiopia, transformed into rich, healthy valleys such as this. we are helping the community of Beira to overcome severe water shortages, improve harvests, and provide food for their families. Local people are learning to live with severe drought, finding ways to save water, grow crops and provide for their families. Through our work we seek to ensure that it is no longer necessary for families to uproot and search for work elsewhere, by providing them support with land reform and ensuring they have the necessary resources for their well-being. Reflection We recognise the intimate relationship between protecting and sustaining the environment and promoting human development; we aim to take proper account of ecological sustainability in our work and in our lifestyle. A way of life that disregards and damages God‘s creation, forces the poor into greater poverty, and threatens the right of future generations to a healthy environment and to their fair share of the earth‘s wealth and resources, is contrary to the vision of the Gospel The Call of Creation—Natural environment & CST, 1 Bishops’ Conference of

Prayer Creator God, You call us into communion, so that we may deepen our awareness of our need for each other. May we recognise the wisdom and gifts in all your people and work in partnership to enable your kingdom to break into our world. Amen

St Cuthbert (635-687) is best known for being the Bishop of Lindisfarne and patron of Durham.

His future as a bishop had been foretold while he was a child. He was influenced too by the holiness of the community at Melrose. In the year 651 he saw in a vision, the soul of St. Aidan carried to heaven by angels. This inspired him to become a monk, however war and conscription hindered this.

Four years later, after war had ended he became a monk. He soon became eminent for holiness and learning. In 661 he went to Ripon monastery and adopted the Roman Usage in celebrating Easter and other matters.

In 664 the Synod of Whitby decided in favour of the Roman Usage and St Cuthbert was sent to be prior at Lindisfarne, in order that he might introduce the Roman customs into that house. Whilst at Lindisfarne, he spent much of his time evangelizing the people. He was noted for his devotion to the Mass, which he could not celebrate without tears.

In 676 he was elected Bishop of Lindisfarne, and was consecrated at York by St Theodore at Easter in 685. For two years he acted as bishop, preaching and labouring without intermission. In March 687 he died and his body had been moved many times due to invasions, yet his tomb was restored at Lindisfarne.

Stage five: The theme for today is Stewardship

Bangladesh Bangladesh, we are supporting the community of Kainmari in Bangladesh, where families are under constant threat from cyclones and floods. But through limitless energy and determination they are finding ways to earn a living for their families and prepare for future disasters.

Cyclone Aila hit Kainmari in May 2009, causing widespread flooding that damaged homes and crops and ruined supplies of drinking water. Two years on, the community is still dealing with the consequences. Our work has helped the families in Bangladesh make a living from small businesses, such as vegetable cultivation, Cyclone warnings works: shrimp and duck rearing and Kainmari‘s cyclone warning system sprang into action in October. When the alert came, will help families be prepared Pobitra hoisted a flag in front of his tea shop when disaster strikes – as it to warn people saving many lives. does all too often in this low- lying country prone to flooding. Reflection We strive to be good stewards of all the resources entrusted to us, openly accountable for our work, systematic in evaluating our impact, effectiveness and professionalism in managing our resources

―God destined the earth and all it contains for all people and nations, so that all created things would be shared fairly by all humankind under the guidance of justice, tempered by charity‖. The Church in the Modern World, 69 Prayer God of Justice, You have anointed us as humble stewards of your creation. May we strive to transform out broken world so that the goods of the earth are shared justly among all your people and all have enough to flourish. May we live simply so that others may simply live. Amen.

St Aelred was Abbot of Rievaulx, a homilist and Historian. He was born at Hexham but made the acquaintance of David, St. Margaret's son, and shortly afterwards King of Scotland. King David loved the pious English youth, promoted him in his household, and wished to make him bishop, but Aelred decided to become a Cistercian monk in the recently founded abbey of Rievaulx in Yorkshire. Soon he was appointed master of novices, and was remembered for his extraordinary tenderness and patience towards those under his charge.

In 1146 he was elected abbot of Rievaulx. In this position he was superior of a community of 300 monks, and head of all the Cistercian abbots in England. Causes were referred to him, and often he had to undertake considerable journeys to visit the monasteries of his order.

He seems to have exercised considerable influence over Henry II, in the early years of his reign, and to have persuaded him to join Louis VII of France in meeting Pope Alexander III, at Touci, in 1162. He was present in Westminster Abbey, at the translation of St. Edward the Confessor, in 1163. The next year Aelred undertook a mission to the barbarous Pictish tribes of Galloway, where their chief is said to have been so deeply moved by his exhortations that he became a monk. Throughout his last years Aelred gave an extraordinary example of heroic patience under a succession of infirmities. St. Aelred left a considerable collection of sermons, the remarkable eloquence of which has earned for him the title of the English St. Bernard. He was the author of several ascetical treatises, notably the "Speculum Charitatis‖.

Pilgrimage Prayer: As we set out on our pilgrimage today, we ask that by the intercession of the saints of our diocese, we may travel in safety and reach our destination in good health. We remember all the pilgrims who have gone before us, and give thanks for their faith and vision they showed in their lifetime which has been handed down to our age. May God the Father bless us, Jesus, Our Lord be with us and the Holy Spirit guide us to our journey‘s end. Amen

Stage six: The theme for today is: Dignity Colombia In Columbia, 4 million people have been driven from their land; the land stolen is the size of the Republic of Ireland and Wales combined. This has caused a humanitarian crisis. The root cause of the conflict is poverty and inequality and has affected those who depend on the land and its resources: farming communities, Afro-Colombian communities and indigenous peoples.

Mélida is a courageous Afro-Colombian single mother and community activist who is fighting for land rights for the Afro-Colombian communities in Chocó, near the Pacific coast. Descended from the slave trade, they are among the poorest in Colombia. Their land is being taken by illegal groups who are involved in open-cast mining, with the complicity of public servants, who turn a blind eye to their activities. The group Cocomopoco, meet together and make proposals to petition to the government to have their lands and rights restored to them. This is a dangerous activity and many people ‗disappear‘ for speaking out.

The Catholic Church in Colombia stands alongside the poorest people in solidarity and helps them in their struggle, trying to bring about justice and reparation. It is one of the most important actors in the search for peace. CAFOD‘s partner in Colombia is the Colombian Catholic Bishops Conference and Caritas Colombia.

Reflection ―For I was hungry and you gave me food, thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you made me welcome, naked and you clothed me... When Lord...? In so far as you did this to one of the least of these sisters or brothers of mine, you did it to me.‖ (Matthew 25). When we deal with one another, we should do so with the sense of awe that arises in the presence of something sacred. For that is what human beings are: we are created in the image of God‖. Prayer God of Dignity, Each person on this earth is the clearest reflection of your presence in the world. May we recognise in everyone, near and far, known and unknown, the face of Jesus. In this way, in your name, may we bring both dignity and significance to our sisters and brothers dismissed by our world to the margins. Amen.

St Hilda (614-680) became a Christian through the preaching of St. Paulinus around the year 627, when she was thirteen years old.

She was inspired by her sister, who became a nun. Hilda led a monastic life for a while on the north bank of the Wear and afterwards at Hartlepool, where she ruled a double monastery of monks and nuns with great success.

Hilda later undertook a monastery at Streaneshalch, which was named Whitby. Under the rule of St. Hilda the monastery at Whitby became very famous. The Sacred Scriptures were specially studied there, and no less than five of the inmates became bishops, St. John, Bishop of Hexham, and still more St. Wilfrid, Bishop of York.

It was at Whitby, in 664, when the important synod at which King Oswy, convinced by the arguments of St. Wilfrid, decided the observance of Easter and other moot points. The fame of St. Hilda's wisdom was so great that from far and near monks and even royal personages came to consult her.

St. Hilda is intimately connected to the story of Caedmon, the sacred bard. When he was brought before St. Hilda she admitted him to take monastic vows in her monastery, where he most piously died.

Stage seven: The theme for today is: Hope

Rwanda A letter from Berina, one of the narrators for Connect2

Dear friends, This letter is hard to write but I urge you to read it. Please do not forget what happened in Rwanda. Please keep us in your hearts and prayers. My husband, Evaritse and I used to grow crops and keep animals. The day the genocide started we saw people killing our goats. They said ―As you have seen us kill these animals, this is how we are going to kill you.‖ We ran but the men circled my husband. I saw them kill him with axes and machetes. I got my children and hid in the bush. One day there was gunfire and I lost my daughter Josiane, then 2 years. I found her amongst dead bodies. She opened her eyes but couldn‘t speak and her right arm and leg wouldn‘t move. She wasn‘t injured—she had lost her senses, lost her mind. After the genocide we were homeless but Avega built us a house. I go to a counselling group run by Avega where I share my pain with other widows and learn how to overcome trauma.‖ This has helped me to get on with life and console my children. Now, life has changed. My children are growing. I am happy I can feed them. With trust and faith, God will help us.‖ I send you my love and hope that you can learn from our bravery. Reflection ―The joys and the hopes, the grief and the anguish of the people of our time, especially of those who are poor or afflicted in any way, are the joys and hopes, the grief and anguish of the followers of Christ as well. Nothing that is genuinely human fails to find an echo in their hearts.‖ (The Church in the Modern World, 1) Prayer God of Hope, Your Son Jesus liberated this would so that all may enjoy fullness of life and be free from oppression and injustice - may he be our source of hope as we continue his work of fighting poverty and building lasting peace. Amen

Reflection

It helps now and then to step back and take the long view The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God‘s work. Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of saying, That the kingdom always lies beyond us. No statement says all that could be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection, no pastoral visit brings wholeness. No programme accomplishes the Church‘s mission. That is what we are about. We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realising that. This enables us to do something, and to do it well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord‘s grace to enter and do the rest. We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.

We are the workers, not the master builders, ministers, not messiahs. We are the prophets of a future not of our own. Amen.

Archbishop Oscar Romero