Day 4 of St Mark’s Way began with Mass at Sheffield’s stunning Catholic Cathedral, St Marie’s.
After Mass, Ged gave a talk on the fruits of the pilgrimage, after which Bishop Ralph bestowed on the Perpetual Pilgrims and around 20 Day Pilgrims, the traditional Irish Blessing ‘May the road rise to meet you; may the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face … and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.’
The sun did indeed shine warm upon our faces – and the weather was gloriously bright – but this day was to be a walk full of reminders of some of the darkest times of our history, as our destination was Padley Chapel and the Shrine to the two priests, the Blessed Nicholas Garlick and Robert Ludlam, martyred during the protestant reformation.
With this outrage now forgiven, if not forgotten, the pilgrims’ first stop was to visit Sheffield’s Anglican Cathedral to receive a second, ecumenical blessing.
The Cathedral is home to contemporary modern art in a variety of media …
… plus, a pre-reformation altar donated by the Duke of Norfolk.
On the long walk out of the city, there was an opportunity honour the Great War and WWII munitions service of Sheffield’s ‘Women of Steel’ (greatly enhanced by our own pilgrim women of equally steely resolve!)
Upon turning into Endcliffe Park, another wartime memorial was acknowledged with a prayer at the crash site of ‘Mi Amigo’, the US Air Force B17 Flying Fortress which went down with the loss of all ten crew in 1944. A sobering sight in amidst the colourful splendour of the city’s Botanical Gardens.
As prayers for peace and reconciliation were a theme of this day’s pilgrimage, Fr Des offered the Sacrament of Penance; walking at the rear of the group and hearing confessions!
It is indeed fortunate that in spite of our sinfulness, the Lord extends his mercy to all who repent. We received God’s forgiveness instead of our just deserts … and Fr Des too was permitted his ‘just dessert’ in gratitude for providing this wonderful opportunity!
After praying the Angelus, the walkers left behind Sheffield’s early industrial locations. The environment became ever more rural and the road quite literally rose up to meet us where the land rose almost vertically, as we began a steep climb up to Ringinglow.
Hot and thirsty from the ascent, the Norfolk Arms’ beer garden was a welcome place for some rest and refreshment…!
A further climb on to the Roman road passed through open moorland and truly felt like an ancient pilgrim way …
… and a wayside marker shows the distance to Bl Nicholas Garlick’s home town of Tideswell …
… so we were clearly not the first to ask the perennial question: ‘Are we nearly there yet…?’
We were, however, still some distance away from Padley Chapel, although the landscape was to change dramatically once again …
Coming down off the moor into the Longshaw Estate, we split into two smaller groups to fulfil the National Trust’s restrictions on large numbers walking together through this area of Special Scientific Interest. A beautiful valley with a stream fished by herons gave way to a path through an ancient temperate rainforest: the result of Padley Gorge having its own micro-climate. The boulders, twisted trees and occasional scattering of half-finished millstones seem to be straight out of Lord of the Rings …
Coming upon the Chapel of the Padley Martyrs was an experience never to be forgotten! Frs Garlick and Ludlam, plus the Fitzherbert family who were harbouring them, were targeted by Richard Topcliffe, Elizabeth I’s the chief priest-hunter and torturer. Much of the motivation for the protestant reformation in England was less about theology and more about a ‘land grab’! This was especially true as regards Topcliffe who, as well as hating adherents to the True Faith, is said to have coveted Padley Hall and the Fitzherbert’s estate and wanted it for himself.
The Fitzherbert family spent years in prison; the two priests, together with another, Fr Richard Simpson, imprisoned with them, were hanged, drawn and quartered in Derby on 24 July 1588.
After interviews with pilgrims for Theresa Alessandro’s ‘All Kinds of Catholic’ podcast; hearing the martyrs’ story from Ged; being treated to delicious home-made refreshments by the Friends of Padley Chapel; and hearing the first draft of a storyteller’s spellbinding spiritual meditation on the martyrs, the Perpetual Pilgrims walked to nearby Grindleford Railway Station to take the train back to their Sheffield hotel, ready for a VERY early return to Padley Chapel to begin Day 5 of their Pilgrimage of Hope!
Blessed Nicholas Garlick and Robert Ludlam: pray for us
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