Sister Therese Elias, OSB, (on right) at St. Winifride's Holy Well in Wales
We will journey through some of the most beautiful parts of northern and western Wales. This
beauty, however, is more than skin deep. From the dawn of civilization these destinations have been perceived as
sacred. They are lavishly populated with pre-Christian monolithic sites and they have been sites of Christian pilgrimage
throughout the history of the church.
We will journey through history with great women Anglo-Saxon saints, Werbergh and Winifride.
We will journey with expert contemporary spiritual guides:
Our constant companion will be Sister Therese Elias, OSB, spiritual director, centering prayer leader, teacher of the enneagram, Celtic Spirituality and Praying with the Mystics. Sister Therese's home monastery, Mount St. Scholastica, traces it monastic lineage to Saints Werbergh and Winifrede.
We will journey through sacramental history from the renewal of our baptismal vows at St. Winifrede's well to remembrance of burial at Bardsey Island, legendary burial place of 20,000 saints.
Our own spiritual journey will begin in symbolic death (to self and whatever else it is in us that needs to die) in the baptismal ritual at Holywell and will follow the ancient path of pilgrim feet to the site of resurrection and new life at Bardsey. We will finish with services of healing, reconciliation and restoration at St. Non's.
The journey will be beautiful, joyful and glorious.
St. Non's Church and Retreat House
Every link in this itinerary is unique & will take you to a different site. Enjoy.
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Itinerary |
Overnight |
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| Thursday, April 28 |
Departure Flights from U.S. to Manchester Please plan to arrive in Manchester on early morning flights. We will gather at the airport to start our journey. |
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Chester, ancient Roman and medieval walled city with its magnificent cathedral, shrine of the great Anglo-Saxon woman Saint Werbergh, and hand-carved monastic stalls unlike any you'll ever see! | |
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St. Winifride's Well - we'll begin our pilgrimage by renewing our Baptismal vows in this lovely and historic well. | |
| Penmon - important site for early Christianity in Britain; founded by 6th C. hermit St. Seiriol | ||
| Caernarfon, one of northern Wales six walled cities, with its famous Roman fort and castle that Edward I's architect modeled on Constantinople | ||
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Pilgrim sites along the northern route to Bardsey Island | Aberdaron |
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Bardsey Island, burial place of 20,000 saints. It is the Far West in the archetypical sense - the place of our
death, our burial, our resurrection. The island was a major pilgrimage destination throughout most of church history. It is also thought by some to be the island of Avalon, legandary burial place of King Arthur. |
Aberdaron |
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Beautiful Aberdaron, the land's end of Wales, the mouth of the Oak River, closely tied to the ancient Welsh kingdom of Gwynedd, the place farthest from a railway station in all the United Kingdom, home of beaches and nature preserves - we'll stay here three nights | Aberdaron |
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Journey through Snowdonia Mountains, Wales' Alps | |
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Nevern High Cross, the most magnificent of Wales' High Crosses | St. Non's Retreat House |
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Pentre Ifan Neolithic Burial Chamber | St. Non's Retreat House |
| St. David's city and Cathedral of St. David, the patron saint of Wales | ||
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St. Non's (St. Non's Church); healing service at St. Non's Well. | St. Non's Retreat House |
| Sunday, May 8 |
Early morning departure for Cardiff airport Please do not make departure reservations on early morning flights |
For the Celtic Christian, there was no divided church. We walk today in that truth: one Lord, one spirit, one baptism.
Costs and Conditions |
About Therese Elias OSB |
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The Blessings of Pilgrimage |
Tourist Information |
The Celtic Pilgrimage is no mad dash through Hibernia.
To establish a sense of place and to give time for reflection, rest and renewal, we settle in. This pilgrimage will spend several nights at most most of the stops along the way.
Also, see theLinks
and Readings pages
for more information about all of the saints and sites and ideas we will encounter on our sacred journey.
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The pilgrimage group will be small. Don't be disappointed. |
For more information contact:
Therese Elias, OSB
Guardian Angels Monastic House
4220 Mercier
Kansas City, MO 64111
816/561-6855
tmelias@gmail.com
