The Pilgrimage of Hope

Phil McCarthy • December 8, 2024

The Pilgrimage of Hope is a national walking pilgrimage for England & Wales with four main Ways converging at the Cathedral of St Barnabas, Nottingham, on Saturday 13th September 2025, the eve of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. 


The Ways start at the Catholic cathedrals in Cardiff, Leeds, Norwich and London (see map above) and will bless our nations with a Sign of the Cross. The routes use established hiking routes and are off road as much as possible. A small group of 'perpetual pilgrims' will walk the full distance of each Way, with day pilgrims joining for stages. There are potential feeder routes to the four main Ways from all the other Catholic cathedrals of England & Wales. 


The 2025 Jubilee has the motto 'pilgrims of hope' and the logo shows people coming from the four corners of the earth in solidarity. Pope Francis has written:


“Pilgrimage is of course a fundamental element of every Jubilee event. Setting out on a journey is traditionally associated with our human quest for meaning in life. A pilgrimage on foot is a great aid for rediscovering the value of silence, effort and simplicity of life. In the coming year, pilgrims of hope will surely travel the ancient and more modern routes in order to experience the Jubilee to the full.” 


We live in times when despair would be easy. The Pilgrimage of Hope will be a way for Catholics and other Christians to witness to their faith and hope in the crucified and risen Christ across England & Wales. It will be an opportunity to experience walking a sustainable pilgrimage on foot as pilgrims of hope.


Help is needed trailblazing the four main Ways.

For more information about how to get involved click the button below.

MORE INFORMATION
By Phil McCarthy December 22, 2025
I was delighted to be invited to record this brief Advent reflection for the Catholic Bishops' Conference (England and Wales) Wave of Hope series. My focus was the 2025 Jubilee Pilgrimage of Hope.
By Anna FitzPatrick December 19, 2025
The Laudato Si Circle based at Blackfriars in Oxford undertook a pilgrimage for the planet!
By Phil McCarthy December 16, 2025
A pilgrim way in Oxfordshire following St John Henry Newman’s spiritual path.
By John Paul de Quay December 15, 2025
A new resource for those interested in the impact of pilgrimage on the environment.
By Rowan Morton-Gledhill December 15, 2025
This year, the Annual Diocesan St Wilfrid’s Way Pilgrimage was walked for the 10th time!
By Anne E Bailey December 5, 2025
A new video of the Jubilee Pilgrimage of Hope from Anne E Bailey
O
By Alex Knox December 3, 2025
Over the last 12 months, Alex Knox walked Britain’s newest pilgrimage with its youngest pilgrim. This is their story.
By Torin Brown December 3, 2025
Torin Brown, Pilgrim Officer at Canterbury Cathedral, asks why pilgrimage still 'packs a spiritual punch' in a secular age.
By Christian Jenkins December 2, 2025
Christian Jenkins describes a the first Our Lady of Christendom pilgrimage in the UK from Tewkesbury Abbey to Evesham!
By Phil McCarthy December 1, 2025
A podcast about pilgrimage has been launched, hosted and created by Torin Brown, the pilgrim officer at Canterbury Cathedral!