Pilgrims Pray for Priestly Vocations!

Our Lenten Pilgrimage for Vocations ‘In Father Brown’s Footsteps’ is now an annual Diocesan event!

First walked by just ten people last year, a total of thirty pilgrims signed up to walk some or all of the way from Keighley to Ilkley’s Myddelton Calvary in this Year of Jubilee, following the route taken more than 120 years ago by GK Chesterton and Fr John O’Connor, the Diocese of Leeds priest on whom the author modelled his most famous character, Father Brown.

The day began with Mass at St Anne’s Church in Keighley, where pilgrims walking were warmly welcomed by Parish Priest, Mgr David Smith.

After the first of several ‘group photographs’ and praying a Prayer for Vocations, we set out through the streets of Keighley in the direction of East Riddlesden Hall, across from which we began what is an extremely steep ascent up towards Ilkley Moor!

The wayside marker on Ilkley Moor known as Cowper’s Cross was reached around Noon: a fitting place to pray the Angelus!

The pilgrims hail from diverse parishes across the Diocese of Leeds – from Hemsworth to Huddersfield, Harehills and Harrogate, as well as from Bradford and Leeds. Ilkley’s Parish of the Sacred Heart was well represented – and was where we stopped for our packed lunches and were cheerfully greeted with wonderful hospitality!

Several more pilgrims joined us at Ilkley for another steep ascent up to Myddelton Calvary for Stations of the Cross.

A feature of all our walking pilgrimages is that they be accessible by public transport, so as to assist us with our Diocesan Sustainability Journey. The wide appeal of walking pilgrimages – and the desire to pray for priestly vocations – was very much in evidence amongst all the pilgrims! One of our number is training for the Permanent Diaconate; a group of three were from the leadership team of one of our Catholic schools; there were up to three generations of some families walking together, and the two youngest pilgrims were aged just eight and twelve!

Next year’s Pilgrimage for Vocations In Father Brown’s Footsteps will, as ever, be one Saturday during Lent – watch the pilgrimages page of this website for details of all our Diocesan Pilgrimages, including our Laudato Si’ Mini-Pilgrimages for all FOUR ‘Seasons of Creation’ … – and also, it’s the Tenth Anniversary this year of our Diocesan Camino, St Wilfrid’s Way, which will be walked on Friday 10 and Saturday 11 October 2025.