Pilgrimage

• Pilgrimage


  A journey to a special site, a place that is regarded as holy to the believer
• Many people, religious or not, will go on long journeys as part of self-discovery and an exploration of the world around them
• Each of these journeys will have meaning for the individual and provide them with experiences they can't get at home
• Christian pilgrimages


  • Journeys to religious sites can be long and difficult
  • Pilgrims often walk long distances and live off only the essentials
  • Provides a sense of spirituality and brings them closer to God
• Reasons Christians may go on a pilgrimage

  • To strengthen their understanding of God
  • As penance, meaning punishment for their sins
  • To seek help with health problems
  • To visit a holy site and share an experience with other believers
• A pilgrimage is not compulsory for Christianity
• Any believer does so either because they want to or under the advice of their priest
• Pilgrimage sites


  • Canterbury and England
  • Medjugorje in Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Iona, a small island off the coast of Scotland
  • Lourdes in southwest France
• Iona


  A small island off the coast of Scotland, often known as the cradle of Christianity, and a modern center for pilgrimage
• Establishment of the monastery on Iona

  1. Saint Columba, an Irish monk, settled there in 563 AD

  2. Columba established the monastery after fleeing from a feud between monasteries which had killed thousands of people

  3. Columba's close relationship with the king meant the king's sons were educated in the monastery in exchange for land and protection
• After Columba's death, the monastery's influence grew, with the rulers of many different countries being buried there, and the Book of Kells, a religious book illustrating the Gospels, being created there
• The monastery on Iona eventually lost its influence