This May, over 80 people took part in a nine‑day journey from the 15th to the 23rd that spanned the whole Diocese of Bristol—an adventure of prayer, story, and hope. Those taking part walked, prayed, and sowed seeds of God’s kingdom in every corner of the Diocese.
The pilgrims visited 53 churches, 3 school communities and one sports centre, praying for each community and experiencing rich hospitality along the way. Over 130 people across the Diocese were involved in offering prayer and hospitality, leading acts of worship, washing feet, sharing showers and food.
Chris Dobson, Diocesan Adviser for Parish Discipleship & Evangelism and organiser of the Pilgrimage, said:
“At the heart of the pilgrimage was the transforming power of God's Holy Spirit walking with us each day. Many of those who walked and those who hosted found it a profound experience of Christian community and discipleship. Walking for 10 hours, listening, praying, exploring our call together was a huge encouragement to keep going.”
Along the way, the group experienced powerful lessons from nature, from the contrasting urban environments, and from the people they encountered along the way.
Creation Care
One of the places that the group visited was Whiteshill Common. The pilgrims stopped at the wildflower meadow planted on the “Little Common” by the Frome Valley Environmental Network (FVEN). The meadow forms part of FVEN’s wider Pollinator Pathway project, which aims to create connected habitats for bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects along the Frome Valley.
Walkers were welcomed to Whiteshill with refreshments hosted at Hambrook Sports Club after visiting the meadow site, where pilgrims prayed for more volunteers and funding to help the club expand and support more members of the community.
If you missed the pilgrimage
If you weren't able to join the pilgrimage in person, you can re-live some of the experience by following it on Polarsteps using the link below where each stop is recorded with pictures and reflections from the pilgrims.
Re-live the pilgrimage on Polarsteps
Maps of the routes are also available online and you are welcome to download them and walk them in your own time. If you would like to use the same readings and prayer formats as the Pilgrims, they are available for download in the next section below.