SMYRNA—Pilgrims and interested travelers are invited to an information session on Wednesday, May 23, that will include highlights of upcoming pilgrimages sponsored by The Georgia Bulletin. All are invited to attend this meeting, which will begin at 7 p.m. at the archdiocesan Chancery, 2401 Lake Park Drive, SE, Smyrna.

Belinda Held, a representative of tour operator Unitours, will be on hand to provide descriptions and answer questions about the trips scheduled in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Father Tim Hepburn, vocations director for the archdiocese, will be the spiritual director for the 2018 pilgrimage, an Oct. 26–Nov. 5 journey to the sacred sites of England and Scotland.

The itinerary for the England and Scotland pilgrimage features sites that will appeal to a wide range of people, including:

– Edinburgh, Scotland, visiting Holyrood Palace, former home of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the Rosslyn Chapel, which was made famous in “The DaVinci Code.”

– The ruins of St. Andrews Cathedral, which fell into disrepair after Catholic Masses were outlawed during the 16th-century Scottish Reformation. The pilgrims will walk through the university grounds, where Prince William and Kate Middleton met as students.

– Lindisfarne Priory on the Holy Island, which is accessed by a causeway during low tides.

– Durham Castle and the Cathedral Church of Christ, a fine example of Norman architecture. St. Cuthbert’s stole, maniple and pectoral cross can be seen in the cathedral library.

– Westminster Cathedral in London, the seat of the cardinal archbishop of Westminster and the Catholic mother church in England. There will be a driving tour of London, viewing the Tower Bridge, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, Nelson’s Column, the Marble Arch and St. Paul Cathedral.

– Ye Olde Mitre Tavern, a pub in London featured in Charles Dickens’s novel “David Copperfield” and in William Shakespeare’s “Richard III.” The group will stroll down to Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing St., home of the British prime minster.

– Canterbury Cathedral, founded in 597 and where St. Thomas A Becket was martyred.

Following morning Mass at the Church of the English Martyrs, the pilgrimage’s final full day will allow group members to tour favorite spots on their own.

Overnight stays are planned in Edinburgh, Durham, York, Cambridgeshire and London.

The pilgrimage, which costs $3,999 per person, includes round-trip airfare; breakfasts and dinners (except the final day in London); hotel accommodations; air-conditioned motor coach; and full-time tour manager. The itinerary is subject to change.

The Georgia Bulletin has two additional trips in the planning stages. A pilgrimage to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico will be offered March 1-5, 2019, and a pilgrimage to see the Oberammergau Passion Play 2020 in Germany, as well as sites in Austria and the Czech Republic, will take place July 8-18, 2020. Information about these trips will be available at the session on May 23.