The Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu is to embark on a six-month Pilgrimage of Prayer, Witness and Blessing in the Diocese of York. He begins his Pilgrimage tomorrow with Morning Prayer at St Mary’s, Whitby.
To follow and share in Archbishop Sentamu’s journey, please visit: http://pilgrimage.archbishopofyork.org
The Archbishop will be walking a sizeable distance each day from the coast, over moor and dale, along highways and byways, through both rural and urban communities and across an area which spans the Humber to the Tees and the A1 to the coast. His aim is to meet people, pray with them, and to encourage them to follow Christ, and bless what God is doing.
Archbishop Sentamu said, “My prayers have led me to this pilgrimage. St Paulinus, St Aidan, St Cuthbert and St Hilda of Whitby in their time shared the good news of Jesus Christ with the people of the North. Praying for those who come to know Christ is a great privilege and a joy. During this pilgrimage, I would like to encourage everyone I meet to commit themselves afresh to try praying, be open to encountering Jesus Christ, pray for a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and receive the gift of the joy provided by Jesus Christ – and be thankful. Pray with me, and join me on the road!”
Archbishop Sentamu is to spend six days, from Tuesday to Sunday, in each of the Deaneries of the Diocese of York. He starts his Pilgrimage in the Archdeaconry of Cleveland at Whitby. He will later journey to the East Riding, and will finish in York Minster on Trinity Sunday (22 May 2016).
This Pilgrimage of Prayer, Witness and Blessing follows a similar 280-mile trek which the Archbishop undertook in 2005 as the then Bishop for Birmingham.
As he sets out on this journey, here is his Pilgrimage Prayer:
God of Our Pilgrimage,
Thank You for Your Friendship.
Be the Fire Leading Us.
Be the Star Guiding Us.
Be the Good Shepherd Calling Us.
May the Holy Spirit,
Strengthen Us
For All that Lies Ahead.
May Your Holy Angels,
Surrounding Us:
Watch, Defend, and Protect Us
Against All Evil. Amen.
Here is a personal prayer the Archbishop has written for individual private prayer:
Father in Heaven,
Mould me into Christlikeness;
And Stir up in me,
the Fire of Your Love.
Holy Spirit,
Fill me with Your Power;
And Help me to Tell of the Love
And Salvation in Jesus of Nazareth.
Lord Jesus Christ,
Son of the Father,
Renew my Friendship in You;
And help me to Serve You
With a Quiet Mind and a Burning Spirit.
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Please Keep Me
In the Joy, Simplicity, and Compassion
Of Your Holy Gospel. Amen.
Archbishop Sentamu wrote an article about his Pilgrimage in the Yorkshire Post on Saturday - you can read this here.