Georgia Bulletin

The Newspaper of the Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta

Atlanta

Georgia Bulletin pilgrimage to explore sacred sites of England, Scotland

Published January 25, 2018

ATLANTA—Father Tim Hepburn, director of vocations for the Archdiocese of Atlanta, will lead a pilgrimage to the sacred sites of England and Scotland Oct. 26-Nov. 5. The Georgia Bulletin is sponsoring this coming fall 2018 pilgrimage. Reservations are now being accepted.

The itinerary for the 11-day pilgrimage features a number of historic and interesting Catholic sites.

In Edinburgh, Scotland, pilgrims will make a stop at the Palace of Holyrood, home of the last Catholic monarch of Scotland, Mary; tour Edinburgh Castle; attend Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral; and visit Rosslyn Chapel.

St. Andrew near Edinburgh, once the center of Catholicism in Scotland and later the birthplace of the modern golf game, is also on the itinerary. An outdoor Mass will be celebrated there, weather permitting. Pilgrims have the chance to stroll through the grounds of the University of St. Andrews.

The tour includes a visit to Lindisfarne Priory in Durham, England, founded by St. Aidan in 635 A.D. and rebuilt by the Benedictines. Located on an island, the priory is accessed by a causeway during low tides. The group will celebrate Mass on the island.

Durham Castle and Cathedral are tour stops, where the pilgrims will have Mass and a guided tour, then visit the old walled city of York.

The tour schedule includes the village of Walsingham, a pilgrimage site for Catholics and Anglicans. Pilgrims will then visit Ely Cathedral in Cambridge, which was used in the filming of “MacBeth” and “The King’s Speech.”

While in London, planned visits include Westminster Cathedral for Mass; St. Paul’s Cathedral; Milk Street, where St. Thomas More was born; the British Museum, which houses the Rosetta Stone; and the Tyburn Benedictine Convent, near the infamous Tyburn Tree, where more than 100 Catholics died for their faith during the Reformation.

Also on the London portion of the tour is the Temple Church, a church of the Knights Templar, consecrated in 1185. Mass will be celebrated at the oldest Catholic Church in England, St. Etheldreda with its revered stained glass windows. Ye Olde Mitre Tavern, featured in Charles Dickens’ novel, “David Copperfield,” and in Shakespeare’s drama, “Richard III,” along with a tour of Westminster Abbey, are also scheduled stops.

Pilgrims will travel to Canterbury, where the Virgin Mary appeared to St. Simon Stock in 1251 and gave him the brown scapular. The pilgrims will pay homage to St. Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral, the site of his martyrdom.

Enjoy tea and scones at Tiny Tim’s tearoom in Canterbury before going to Dover to see the famous White Cliffs, overlooking the English Channel.

The final full day in London is set to be a free day in which travelers may attend morning Mass, and have the option of visiting Stonehenge and Bath or enjoying some shopping.

Belinda Held, a representative of Unitours, Inc., will accompany the group on the pilgrimage.

The cost of the pilgrimage is $3,999 per person.


For information or reservations for the 11-day tour, contact Mariana Pisano at 1-800-777-7432 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. or by email to mpisano@unitours.com. To book online, go to http://bit.ly/Bulletin2018.