CHURCHES within the north of England are being encouraged to mark themselves as “pilgrim places” as a part of the Archbishop of York’s Faith within the North initiative.
Faith within the North is a prayer, storytelling and church-planting movement led by Archbishop Cottrell (News, 14 March 2025). New resources released this week are designed to support churches to turn into “Pilgrim Places — locations where visitors can pause, explore, and deepen their spiritual journey.”
They include signage for the church constructing, prayer cards, trails for all abilities, “explore cards” for kids and young people, and concepts and knowledge on find out how to take part the scheme.
A latest webpage on the Faith within the North site explains: “Visiting a Pilgrim Place doesn’t mean you could have to be wearing mountaineering boots or a rucksack (though walking or cycling is a terrific option to travel should you can). Instead, it signifies that like hundreds of thousands of individuals before you, you’ll find peace, hope, comfort, and understanding to take back into your on a regular basis pilgrim journey of life.”
The Storytelling and Heritage Lead for Faith within the North, Professor Dee Dyas, said: “Being a pilgrim isn’t nearly walking long distances, it’s about taking time to reflect on life’s journey — where we’ve come from, where we at the moment are, and where we’re going. Churches are uniquely placed to supply this type of space.”
The “Being a Pilgrim” prayer cards were just like the unique “explore project” cards that were launched in 2022 as an final result of a three-year research project on pilgrimage and cathedrals, and her research on the effect of Covid, she said.
“The explore prayer cards have taken off beyond all expectations. More than three million have now gone out they usually proceed to be ordered at around 100,000 a month — not only by cathedrals and parish churches, but in addition by schools, hospitals, hospices, and even police stations.
“The original 12 cards have been supplemented by cards for young people, baptisms, weddings, funerals, etc., created in response to requests. We are collecting stories of responses that are very encouraging and say quite loads concerning the hunger for spiritual exploration and the necessity for comfort and hope.”
Archbishop Cottrell said: “Pilgrimage lies at the guts of the Christian faith, reminding us that God journeys with us through every season of life. We are hopeful that these resources will help our churches welcome those exploring faith as they arrive into these wonderful buildings.”
A programme of introductory webinars for churches will run on 20 and 21 January, offering practical guidance on the scheme.
