Archbishop joins Canterbury pilgrimage

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, took part in a pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral with young believers on Monday before leading an interactive service.

Many of the pilgrims started their journeys from churches around Kent, with some travelling longer distances, setting forth on Easter Sunday and camping or staying in church halls on the way.

Dr Williams walked the last four miles of the pilgrimage from St Mary’s Church in the village of Patrixbourne.

He said, "Easter is the most significant time in the Church year so it's very important for young Christians to express it in their own way,” reports the Telegraph.

"The pilgrimage is a very important day in the calendar of this diocese for these young people, and getting them to do a physical walk shows that their faith means something … I think it's quite an exciting experience for most of the youngsters. It gives them a chance to come together and meet each other."

He also said, "The church needs to show that it's welcoming to young people. There's no personality examination before they come in through the door."

Also taking part in the pilgrimage were the Bishop of Dover, the Rt Rev Stephen Venner, and the Bishop of Maidstone, the Rt Rev Graham Cray.

Alistair McKeever, 15, took part in the pilgrimage. He said, "Easter is a time of happiness and rebirth so we want to celebrate … It's a great opportunity to walk with your friends and meet new people and just enjoy Easter Monday."

Owen Harman, eight, also took part in the pilgrimage, walking from Dover with his father and older sister. He said, "It's the best and we've got the boss with us. I talked to the Archbishop and he asked me lots of questions. I told him we'd walked a really long way."

During the service at Canterbury Cathedral, actors from the Saltmine Theatre Company did a performance based on the story from the book of Luke about the disciples on the road to Emmaus. There was also live music, games and workshops.

Canterbury Cathedral became one the England’s top pilgrimage destinations in the 12th century after the murder of the Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket by followers of King Henry II.

One of the earliest pilgrims to the shrine of Thomas Becket was Henry II himself who repented that his words had been misconstrued as an order to assassinate the clergyman. During the Reformation, the shrine to Becket was destroyed.