Many people today love visiting churches, cathedrals and other special places such as Lindisfarne and Iona. These beautiful historic sites can give us a sense of belonging and perspective. But they offer more than this.

Visiting a Pilgrim Place doesn’t mean you have to be wearing hiking boots or a rucksack (though walking or cycling is a great way to travel if you can). Instead, it means that like millions of people before you, you are visiting a place where you can find peace, hope, comfort, and understanding that you can take back into your everyday life. A pilgrim is just someone who is on a journey to a special place.

Being a pilgrim in a special place offers space to pause and explore our own experience and thoughts. It helps to take time out of the ‘ordinary’ to think about our journey through life. Helpful questions include, ‘Where have I come from?’, ‘Where am I now?’, ‘Where am I going?’, ‘What might I need to help me cope – and grow?’

At the heart of being a pilgrim is our journey through life, in which we can experience God’s guidance and care each day. This is strengthened by developing our inner relationship with him.

St Michael's is a ‘Pilgrim Place’ – that is a welcoming, peaceful, safe space which offers time to relax and reflect. Why not come and visit? We're open every day from 9am to dusk. We have lots of free prayer cards and pilgrim trail leaflets to help you, and facilities to make a cuppa. You'd be very welcome. 

You can read more about 'Faith in the North' and the Pilgrim Places project at https://faithinthenorth.org/pilgrim-places/ 

You might also like to look at some other resources on pilgrimage:                                                                            Try Pilgrimage: https://trypilgrimage.org.uk/                                                                                                                  Arthur Rank Centre: https://arthurrankcentre.org.uk/church-life/pilgrimage-a-guide-for-creating-the-journey/