Open Writing

How do you define a ‘Pilgrimage’? My trusty Reader’s Digest dictionary gives the simple :- ‘a pilgrim’s journey’ and describes a pilgrim as ‘ a person who journeys to a sacred place for religious reasons.’ So there you have it ….. or do you? That neat definition may be the starting point for all sorts of long and complicated journeys undertaken for a multitude of reasons.

I can’t really remember when my interest in pilgrimages and pilgrims started. Perhaps it was way back in Sunday School when we read about the most famous pilgrim of them all – John Bunyan’s ‘Valiant’. Or it could have been the books I’ve read about a girl who walked and a guy who travelled with a donkey along part of the ‘Way of St James’ – the Spanish ‘Santiago de Compostela’.

Then again it could have been a trip to Durham Cathedral and Lindisfarne, followed by a short walk along the start of St Cuthbert’s way whilst visiting friends in Melrose. Visits to St Peter’s in Rome, St Marks’s Basilica and other churches in Venice, have all fed this interest over the years – so when I heard that we now have our very own new pilgrim’s way in Yorkshire I was delighted and fascinated by the news.

The 65-mile St Paulinus Way follows in the footsteps of the famous 6th Century Saint, from Todmorden to York Minster via churches in Halifax, Dewsbury, Wakefield, Headingley, and Tadcaster.

The new trail was plotted by Todmorden teacher Tina Clayton, who identified a St Paulinus stone cross in Shore, a hamlet above Cornholme. Tina and a team of helpers spent the next three years uncovering links with the saint throughout the area and planning the route.

Tina and her calligrapher husband Stuart have put together a book with 14 route maps to enable walkers, drivers, cyclists and even canal boaters to follow the new pilgrim trail. And they were among the first group of pilgrims to walk the way in August, from the official starting point in St Mary’s, Todmorden to York Minister, where they were greeted by Archbishop Dr John Sentamu.

The 29 walkers who completed the whole route were joined by members of the Minster staff and many well-wishers as they completed the final leg of the Way to the Minster, where the bells rang out in greeting as they approached the Great West Door – only opened for special occasions and visiting royalty.

The Bishop of Wakefield the Rt Rev Stephen Platten, was also at the Minster to present Tina – as chief pilgrim – with a hat and staff and others with pilgrim medals specially commissioned for the event.

Tina said : “When you’re creating a pilgrim way it needs more than a map and a determined pilgrim. Without the support of St Mary’s Todmorden, our Vicar, Revd Owen Page and the hard working team the St Paulinus Way would not have happened”

The Revd Jeanette Roberts, curate at St Mary’s and one of the pilgrim group said: “ I think many of us came on the journey not knowing what we were working on but during the journey things came up.

“God was working whilst we were walking. A journey like this gives you some space in your life to consider all sorts of things.

Jeanette said the pilgrimage had been a very powerful experience and the group, many of whom did not know each other well at the start, had entered into a very deep and spiritual relationship that would bind them together long after the Way was completed.

Asked about the future of the St Paulinus Way she said: “I think it has infinite possibilities. We are keeping open minds and hearts as we feel we have been led by God to create the Way and he will continue to lead us forward.”

St Paulinus

According to information on Dewsbury Minster website the Saint was part of the Augustine mission to Britain in 601. He spent many years as a monk in Canterbury. In 616 Edwin became Rex Anglorum – King of all the English – by marrying Aethelburh, sister of King Eadbald of Kent. The marriage only took place when it was agreed Aethelburh could still practise her Christian religion in pagan Northumbria.

Paulinus went North with her as her chaplain and was consecrated Bishop in 625. He was convinced the conversion of the King was the key to spreading Christianity and made himself indispensable as the King’s Secretary and Adviser.

On Easter Day in 626 two things happened that Paulinus believed were God’s doing. An assassination attempt on the King failed and the Queen gave birth to a daughter. Grateful King Edwin gave his infant daughter to Paulinus to be consecrated to Christ. The king himself was finally converted in 627 and baptised at York. 3

Paulinus travelled extensively throughout the North and baptised thousands in the River Glen, the Pool at Holystone and in the rivers Swale and Trent.

Paulinus seemingly had great influence on royal policy and baptised thousands but evidently appeared to have made no arrangements for pastoral care, church building or training leaders. It is thought he assumed he would have more time to do this.

Writings record Paulinus built a church ‘In campodonum’ – some experts claim this place was Dewsbury and others Doncaster - only Dewsbury has an ancient stone that records ‘Hic Paulinus praedicavit et celebravit’ – Here Paulinus preached and celebrated.

The tragic ending to the story of Paulinus’ mission in the North was unexpected, sudden and total. King Edwin and his son were slain in battle and his Kingdom collapsed. Paulinus took the Queen and her daughters to safety in the South and for a time the North slid back into its pagan past.

But all was not lost and following the Battle of Hatfield in 633 King Oswald emerged as a Christian leader and with Bishop Aidan, built the Christian religion on the foundations left by Paulinus and Edwin.

* For more information about The St Paulinus Way and Heritage Trail visit www.paulinusway.org.uk or contact Tina Clayton on 01706819140 or email ptollycat@hotmail.co.uk.