St Mark’s Way, the northern ‘arm’ of the 2025 National Jubilee Walking Pilgrimage of Hope is now open for Day Pilgrim registration via https://www.pilgrimways.org.uk/become-a-pilgrim-for-a-day
The route of St Mark’s Way uses established hiking routes which are off road as much as possible. A small group of ‘perpetual pilgrims’ will walk the full distance from Leeds to Nottingham, with up to 20 Day Pilgrims joining for day stages. For those wishing to be ‘Day Pilgrims’ in the Diocese of Leeds, that means signing up to join the ‘Perpetual Pilgrims’ for any part of the walk through our Diocese on Day 1 and into Hallam Diocese on Day 2.
Day 1 = Saturday 6 September 2025: Setting off at 9am from Leeds Cathedral (LS2 8BE), St Mark’s Way starts at Leeds Cathedral and follows the Transpennine Trail (TPT) SE beside the Aire & Calder Navigation to Woodlesford. Here the path veers SW to continue on the TPT along a disused railway line and then the River Calder to St Austin’s Catholic Church in Wakefield (WF1 3QN) .
Day 2 = Sunday 7 September 2025: Setting off after the 8am Mass at St Austin’s in Wakefield (WF1 3QN), St Mark’s Way follows the Transpennine Trail beside the former Barnsley Canal and then along a disused railway to end in the Diocese of Hallam at St Michael and All Angels Catholic Church in Wombwell (S73 0HQ).
Pilgrims must register for day stages on St Mark’s Way. Diocese of Leeds Parishes en route can also be involved and support the Pilgrimage by:
• Praying for the safety of pilgrims and for the success of the Pilgrimage of Hope.
• Opening the church and parish hall.
• Providing simple hospitality for the day and perpetual pilgrims, such as tea and coffee.
• Helping to transport the 4 – 6 perpetual pilgrims’ rucksacks from the start to the end of the day’s walk by car.
• Providing simple overnight accommodation for the 4 – 6 perpetual pilgrims.
For more information, to sign up as a ‘Day Pilgrim’, or to offer help, please visit:
Pilgrimage Walk | The Pilgrimage of Hope
Across the Catholic Church in England and Wales, the National Jubilee Pilgrimage of Hope is a national walking pilgrimage: an initiative of the ‘Hearts in Search of God’ project (which was partly inspired by our own Diocese of Leeds ‘Camino’, St Wilfrid’s Way). There are four main Ways, each named after an Evangelist, and each starting at the Catholic cathedrals in Cardiff, Leeds, Norwich and London, blessing our nations with the Sign of the Cross. Those walking the Ways will converge at the Cathedral of St Barnabas, Nottingham, on Saturday 13 September 2025, the eve of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
This is a Holy Year, the Jubilee of Hope – and here is an opportunity to experience walking a sustainable pilgrimage on foot as Pilgrims of Hope!
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