Christians limbering up for Britain's oldest annual pilgrimage

Student Cross is Britain's oldest annual pilgrimage, beginning in 1948, and is formed of 10 groups called 'legs', each of which carries a lifesize wooden cross.

The legs set off from different parts of England, six of which will walk around 120 miles during the course of the week. Two of the legs are for families and another two groups will meet later on for those unable to walk the whole week.

The pilgrimage ends in Walsingham, Norfolk, on Good Friday, where the pilgrims will stay to celebrate Easter until the Sunday.

Walsingham has been a destination of pilgrimage since the Middle Ages and was, until the Reformation, one of the biggest pilgrimage sites in the world.

Despite its name, participants of Student Cross come from all different ages and walks of life, as well as from different Christian traditions.

Chantal Noppen, national director of Student Cross 2011, said that the importance and relevance of pilgrimage today was "often too easily overlooked".

She is encouraging people to take a break from the stresses of daily life and reflect on something more important.

“Pilgrimage is an intense and rewarding experience. Sometimes we need to be reminded to take a step back and remember who we are and why we are," she said.

"We all need to find a way to do this and for some, this is on Student Cross, sharing the road and the journey for a while.

“As our pace of life seems to get faster and faster, the opportunity to breathe freely and release the pressure is invaluable.

"Whether we regard our faith as the lynchpin to life or a peripheral thing to wonder about, Student Cross brings us together and helps us reconnect with what is important."



Online:
www.studentcross.org.uk