On the left of this page you will find a link to the 2001 Belmont Abbey pilgrimage news. How little things have changed! Dom Brendan gives a wonderful sermon there about Zaccheas and how all Jews, Muslims and Christians ought to greet each other as a son or daughter of Abraham. What a difference that would make! The situation in Gaza is now very serious. At least we were able to visit Jericho and Palestinian areas. This is after all why we went on the pilgrimage. Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor had urged us to visit Bethlehem. We were so fortunate that Dom Brendan had arranged such a comprehensive journey so we followed Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Elijah, John the Baptist, Jesus, Peter, Paul - so many different strands interwoven so well. The book he gave us "The Holy Land a pilgrim's companion" by David Baldwin proved invaluable and so did the booklet covering all the liturgies packed full of great hymns not least the Welsh ones! The Cardinal has since signed our copies of the book.
Watching Howard Jacobson on Christianity on channel 4 when he comments that Christians deny their Jewish heritage one certainly could not say that about this journey!In fact the encounters with Jews, Druze and Muslims were fascinating and enlightening!
Mass at Calvary
Very early in the morning on the first day of the week - a wonderful experience!
The way of the cross
The singing pilgrims
Via Dolorosa
The musicians carry the cross - a moving moment
Mass at Caesarea Philippi
Fr Brendan is NOT kneeling - he was standing in a gully!
Inspired and inspiring
Dom Brendan in the synagogue Nazareth
To be a pilgrim
Mass at the Church of the Beatitudes
Tabgha
Ancient mosaic of the loaves and fishes
The Lateran cross
Dom Brendan and Miriam one of our guides
On the Sea of Galilee
In simple trust
like theirs who heard beside the Syrian sea, the gracious calling of the Lord
On the Mount of Olives
A fabulous view over Jerusalem
My Blog List
Crossing the Red Sea
On the boat
About Me
- John the organist
- I am a retired librarian. People fascinate me and I like helping to find answers. I have been an organist and choir director in the Anglican and Catholic church although I am a Catholic and I used to serve at Westminster Cathedral. I am currently organist and choirmaster at St John Caterham Valley. My wife and I met in the Philharmonia chorus and sang with them for 38 years. We have 3 wonderful grown-up children and 3 lovely grandsons. I am very committed to ecumenism and interfaith. Reconciliation is so important in the world today. I organise the Westminster cathedral interfaith group and co-ordinate Laudato Si' animators in England. I paint in oils. I have completed an MA in Christianity and Interreligious relations at Heythrop College part-time over 2 years and I am a trained spiritual director. We now attend St Edmund Beckenham.
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