Celtic Pilgrimage

Getting Ready for the Celtic Pilgrimage

In just a few days I will be heading out on the beginning of a trip to the UK. I'm starting out by visiting Robin Greenwood in Monkseaton in the Diocese of Newcastle, but eventually we will head together to Edinburgh where we will meet up with nine Metro New York Synod pilgrims who are heading directly to Edinburgh on Friday night.

The trip is called a "Celtic Pilgrimage," and it will include visits to places in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Oban, and the Isle of Iona in Scotland. In England we will be centered in the old city of Durham and will visit areas in Northern England including Holy Island, where we will visit with Robin Greenwood's wife, Clare, for the day.

The goal of the trip is to experience some of the spirituality of the Celtic tradition and to visit places where people have sought a richer connection with God. As the journey continues, I hope I will be able to more fully explain what that all means, of course, but from a personal standpoint, I am hoping to grow spiritually during this two week trip.

My chief regret, however, is that I am leaving at a time when my family is going through a challenging time. My mother-in-law needs to move from her home where she has lived for 50 years into the Atria in South Setauket, an Assisted Living facility, and the weight of that transition falls on my wife Linda. Please keep her in your prayers.

I will be posting items on this blog in days ahead. I'm not sure how often or how long they postings will be, and I hope to include some photos, if possible. Feel free to follow along at www.hopespastor.blogspot.com.