Walking Our Prayers
More than 25 people joined a local pilgrimage September 30 in the Kingsway Deanery which includes the parishes of: Christ Church Cathedral; Holy Cross Japanese Canadian; St. James; St. Margaret’s, Cedar Cottage; St. Mary the Virgin, South Hill; St. Michael’s, Vancouver (aka Multicultural); St. Paul’s and St. Thomas’ in the Collingwood neighbourhood. We walked over 20 kilometres visiting 7 parishes. Starting at Holy Cross we stepped over a line drawn on the sidewalk to enter into holy time. Then we walked and we talked and we prayed. As we left each parish, we were invited to consider a question, like, “How do we walk on unceded territory?” or “How might the church be transformed by taking our bodies out of the church into the world?”
We walked through leafy parks, residential neighbourhoods and busy downtown roads. We took a moment in Mountain View Cemetery to remember all the children’s graves at residential schools that went unmarked. We took one section of our walk in silence. And many times throughout the day, I heard the refrain, ‘wow, I have never been through this area of this city before.’ We talked about what beautiful meant to us and looked for beauty in traditionally pleasing vistas, and in the squirm of rats’ tails or the sprawl of a life lived on the street.
I know I love pilgrimage walking. Walking with Salal and Cedar and talking with the Social EcoJustice working group of the Ecclesial Province of British Columbia I have been practicing local pilgrimage for the last few years. Last year I walked with the St Dunstan’s community in Aldergrove. I walked with Roy Cline and the St. George, Fort Langley community and with a provincial group at Sorrento Centre. Together, we have developed a booklet to support local pilgrimage intended to make this practice accessible (and easy to organize) for any community. (Please contact me at the Synod Office if you would like a one-day event booklet in WORD for easy editing. Alecia Greenfield Agreenfield@vancouver.anglican.ca) I know I pay attention to the places I live and work and worship more intently after I have walked the ways and prayed beside those roads or that stream. I know I love pilgrimage walking.
This year, I was awed stopping at local churches. We experienced incredible hospitality. St. Margaret, Cedar Cottage and the St. Paul’s community waiting over an hour to greet the pilgrims (as our large group of walkers fell behind our optimistic itinerary) and still they greeted us with great smiles and welcome cookies. The Rev. Heidi Brear set up prayer stations around the church, gave all the pilgrims a touching cross before praying us forward. The Rev. Phillip Cochrane waited even longer, then greeted us with hot coffee and an Irish prayer. At every church it felt like we met different gifts and graces. At St. Mary the Virgin, South Hill, the Reverend Expedito Farinas shared a candle lighting prayer. At St. Thomas’, the Rev. Michael Batton celebrated Mass and shared a homily that connected the Saint’s Day and Orange Shirt Day. At St. Michael’s, the Rev. Wilmer Toyoken invited us to connect with Scripture and we had more excellent treats. Finally, at the end of a long but lovely day, at St. James, the Rev. Amanda Ruston gathered all the thoughts and prayers of the day into a final blessing, and we stepped out of holy time and back into our regular lives.
IMAGES
- The pilgrims in front of Holy Cross
- Walking through the park with the author in the lead Photo Jonathan Green
- The pilgrims walk through Mountainview with Fr. Wilmer in the lead
- Arriving at St. James
- Fr. Expedito addresses the pilgrims at St. Mary's, South Hill
Photos Alecia Greenfield (except where noted)