Working with our friends at Faith in the North and York Minster, the Diocese of York has launched a new collection of pilgrimage resources to help churches explore faith, welcome communities, and discover fresh opportunities for mission and discipleship.
Pilgrimage has long been part of the Christian tradition, offering a way of deepening faith through intentional journeying.
Pilgrimage has long been part of the Christian tradition. It offers people a way to deepen their faith through intentional journeying. Today, pilgrimage continues to help people notice God’s presence in places, in people, and in everyday life. For churches, it can open new ways of inviting people into faith and creating spaces of welcome and encounter.
To support this growing work, the Diocese of York’s Pilgrimage Working Group has brought together ordained and lay people from across the diocese, alongside colleagues from Faith in the North and York Minster. Together, they have created a range of new resources for churches, including a practical toolkit and a small group resource.
Last month saw the launch of Faith in the North’s new project, ‘Pilgrim Places’, which invites churches to register as a place of welcome, rest, and peace. Many churches across the diocese have already registered their church as a Pilgrim Place, offering signage, prayer cards, and reflective trails to visitors.
Alongside this, the Church of England has recently published Pilgrim Places, Holy Lives, a new summer reflection campaign centred on pilgrimage and the stories that shape our journey with God. The booklet includes daily readings and reflections exploring eight places and the saints connected with them. Contributors include Archbishop Stephen Cottrell, Diocesan Discipleship Adviser Sammi Tooze, and Faith in the North’s Professor Dee Dyas OBE. These will be shared on the Church of England’s Everyday Faith app from the day after Pentecost (25th May) until 21st June.
The new diocesan toolkit encourages churches to explore pilgrimage creatively. It includes ideas for prayer journeys within church buildings, connecting churches through walking routes, engaging children and young people, using the arts and imagination, and ensuring pilgrimage activities are accessible and sustainable.
The accompanying small group resource invites people to reflect on what it means to be God’s pilgrim people today. Sessions explore discipleship, mission, encounter, living as a pilgrim, and the pilgrimage of the soul.
Sammi Tooze, Diocesan Discipleship Adviser, said:
“It’s a great joy to see pilgrimage growing across our diocese, in many creative ways. I’ve been inspired to see the ways churches have offered something deeply missional to their communities, which enables us to encounter God along that journey and discover something of faith.
“The collaborative work between our Diocesan Pilgrimage Group and Faith in the North has been incredibly fruitful, and it’s great to be able to share these materials now to offer guidance, ideas, and support in exploring the creative ways we can all engage with pilgrimage in our local place.”
You can access all these resources for free on our pilgrimage webpage.
