Thursday 26 May 2016

Dear Parishioners


As some of you are aware, I have previously completed the Camino de Santiago (The Way of St James) and it gave me both great spiritual and personal satisfaction from undertaking the pilgrimage.  I also made a made a number of friends from the fellow pilgrims I met on the way.

For some time now I have been considering what could possibly match the experience of the Camino and some 10 months ago now I had a number of “soft” conversations about the possibility of a Pilgrimage from Canterbury to Rome by bike following the old Pilgrims Route.

From these soft conversations a number of positive responses were received and a momentum developed, including a possible plan, with a group of riders who were prepared to undertake the Pilgrimage as well as people who could provide back-up support.

The biggest questions were however: Could we make time available for the necessary training and then for the pilgrimage itself?  Would we be fit enough?  And, for someone who had not been on a bicycle for over 10 years (more like 15), could I still ride a bike?

In the intervening months we have, between us, cycled some 3,000 miles either on the roads or exercise bikes.  However it was not until we had completed 58 miles around the Chilterns on 30th April, 33 miles around Windsor on 1st May and 88 miles including the famous Box Hill in Surrey on 2nd May that we agreed that these questions had been answered.

So, on Sunday 5th June Michael Burton, Michael Carney, Michael Claridge and myself Fr Michael Spain, otherwise known as the 'Four Mikes on Bikes', will set off from Canterbury to cycle the 1,200 miles to Rome following the Old Pilgrims Route.  This will include the 24 miles of the Col de St Bernard.  We will be supported by Malcolm our van driver and co-ordinator as well as Denese our physio.  Our goal is to arrive in Rome sometime on Friday, 24th June.

We will be stopping at various churches, monasteries and other places of interest along the route and, like the Camino de Santiago, we hope to meet up with fellow pilgrims along the way.

We would very much appreciate your support with this challenge by keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.  You can monitor our progress via this blog, the special display in the side porch of St Joseph’s Church or the Newsletter.

If you wish to support us financially we are raising money for The London & Slough Run.  You can donate online clicking the Just Giving button here on our blog or else you can use one of the special giving envelopes available from the Church (side) porch or Parish Office.

All the best,
Fr Michael