Day two is the longest stage of all: St Austin’s, our Jubilee Pilgrimage Church in central Wakefield, all the way to St Michael and All Angels in Wombwell, Diocese of Hallam – a 17+ mile walk away!
Pilgrims who had stayed at the nearby Holiday Inn – and had enjoyed the exceptional customer service ethic of Lauren and Millie, two former St Wilfrid’s pupils, went to the 8am Mass at St Austin’s. After an excellent Homily and Pilgrims’ Blessing from Fr Philip Thornley, our newest priest, bacon sandwiches and tea was served by the Parish Priest, Fr Sean Crawley – and the Perpetual Pilgrims, now joined by several Day Pilgrims from the parish and from as far afield as Hartlepool, set off in the direction of the River Calder.
As ever, St Peter came too, cheerfully carried by a young St Austin’s parishioner.
After passing by Wakefield Cathedral, the first stop for a prayer was the Chantry Chapel on the old Wakefield Bridge. This is one of only four English bridge chapels in existence. Originally built in the mid-C14th, it underwent a Victorian restoration and is in use by the Church of England. Each year, however, on the anniversary of the Battle of Wakefield during the Wars of the Roses (30 December 1460), Fr Sean Crawley celebrates Mass there in the Extraordinary Form.
Just past the old bridge is a footpath running alongside the river, where we encountered 25 friendly cyclists – and an avian ‘fisherman’s friend’!
Much of the Transpennine Way is on old canal towpaths and former railway lines … all somewhat too dark and dank to be photogenic. In fact, with sad news for one pilgrim of a family bereavement, others taking a wrong turn and having to retrace steps, and one suffering a bout of painful sciatica, this part of the pilgrimage was akin to the ‘Slough of Despond’ described by John Bunyan in his C17th allegorical tale The Pilgrim’s Progress…
Arriving later than expected at the 9+ mile mark in Royston, the pilgrims ate their packed lunches. Then the Hallam Diocese Perpetual Pilgrims’ group lead, Gerard Bonner, gave a brief, but very informative tour of the beautiful high Anglican church of St John the Baptist. Dating from the C12th, the church was closely associated with the monastery at Monk Bretton and in modern times a pre-reformation altar stone was discovered.
John, who had kindly driven pilgrims’ heavy rucksacks into the Hallam Diocese had waited to see if anyone needed ‘air-lifting’ to Wombwell and two very grateful Perpetual Pilgrims were transported the final 8 miles of the journey to ensure they would be fit to continue the next day.
At Wombwell, the Catholic Church of St Michael and All Angels had pulled out all the stops for hospitality! It was also the week of Parish Priest, Fr Declan Brett’s birthday, so there was cake as well as delicious pilgrim fayre!
With everyone now tired, but still in good spirits, Wakefield parishioners gave Perpetual Pilgrims lifts to their hotel to get a good night’s sleep before the next long and gruelling day’s march – to St Marie’s Cathedral in Sheffield!
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