All walks of life welcome

By Andrew Humphries

When Tim and Jen Nethercote heard about the Beechworth Uniting Church’s Celtic Pilgrimage, they couldn’t wait to take part.

Tim and Jen, from St Kilda South Port Uniting Church, embraced the 80km spiritual walk for the first time in November last year and can’t speak highly enough of the whole experience.

“Oh, we thought it was an absolutely terrific event,” Tim says.

“The country hospitality during the pilgrimage is just extraordinary, and the level of organisation is second to none.”

Anne Turnbull from the Beechworth Uniting Church’s Celtic Pilgrimage Committee says the annual event has been running since 2001, and celebrates Beechworth’s rich history of Celtic influence and culture.

“The contemplative, supported walk is open to people of all faith traditions, or none,” she says.

“Participants are encouraged to reflect on Christian, indigenous and Celtic spirituality as they make their way through bushland, along the rail trail, from Bright to Beechworth.”

Anne says the pilgrimage offers an opportunity for those taking part to draw breath and“take a break from the regular tensions and complexities of 21st century living”.

“It’s an opportunity to walk simply and unburdened, to take time to reflect, to consider our life choices, and to be at one with nature,” she says.

“The pilgrimage has a strong emphasis on hospitality, a central element of Celtic Christianity, with churches along the route providing meals, and members and friends of Beechworth Uniting Church organising and supporting the walk.

“Participants come from around Australia, with many returning year after year, although each year there are also new walkers.

“This gives an interesting mix of walkers who are old hands delighted to catch up with their friends from past years, while ensuring that new people are made welcome and helped to feel part of the group.”

For Tim and Jen, the pilgrimage offered a wonderful opportunity to simply pause their busy lives and reflect, while forging strong connections in the process.

“There is time to connect with and talk with people, and I can remember a particularly meaningful conversation I had with someone one day,” Tim says.

“I didn’t expect that to happen but it was quite a significant discussion that we had.

“That opportunity to connect with people is possible because nothing else is crowding in on you.

“To have a number of days free of normal day-to-day commitments, allowing time for reflection, is pretty special.”

Forest Hill’s Bernadette Madden took part in her first pilgrimage in 2010 and says it’s become an event she looks forward to with great excitement.

“My main impression of that first pilgrimage was that I was in a very welcoming environment,” says Bernadette, a member of the Missionary Sisters of Service within the Catholic Church.

“There were obviously people who had been before, as well as newcomers, and everything we needed was there and we were very well looked after.

“I’ve done 11 or 12 pilgrimages now so I’m one of the people able to explain to newcomers how it all works.

“It’s wonderful to take part and reconnect with people I have met on previous pilgrimages, and it fosters a real sense of camaraderie.”

Bernadette says the pilgrimage offers her a mixture of part-holiday and part-retreat, while she embraces its spiritual element.

“It offers a very down-to-earth type of spirituality, which is typical of the Celtics, but it’s also very inclusive,” she says.

Tim says he and Jen enjoyed the opportunity to mix with people from all faiths.

“There were Uniting Church people, Anglicans, Pentecostals, and Catholics, as well as people of no faith, but everyone engaged in reflection,” he says.

“Everyone is in it together and there is a great sense of looking after each other.

“I would recommend it to anyone as a great experience and it was a rich experience for all of us.”

This year’s pilgrimage will take place from November 9-14, and anyone wishing to take part can email beechworthcelticpilgrimage@gmail.com