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OSH Pilgrimages to Wales and Turkey |
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| St. David's Cathedral, Wales |
Leaders: Sister Cintra Pemberton, recognized internationally for her gifts as a pilgrimage leader, who knows and loves Wales and has led yearly pilgrimages to Wales since 1992; and The Rev. Harold Hallock, President of the American Friends of St Davids Cathedral.
The pilgrimage will follow four themes in Wales:
(1) the people (2) the culture (3) the history (4) the natural beauty
While in St Davids, we’ll meet and share meals with the Bishop of the Diocese, the Rt Rev Carl Cooper; and the Dean of St Davids Cathedral, the Very Rev Wyn Evans. We’ll also enjoy a class on Welsh poetry with the retired Bishop of Bangor and his wife, Saunders and Cynthia Davies; and a delightfully informal introduction to the Welsh language with Glyn and Janet Conway. A bit later in the program we’ll hear some Welsh folk singers and then enjoy some Welsh folk dancing.
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| Pentre Ifan
Prehistoric Burial Chamber, South Wales |
The beauty of the Pembrokeshire coast in the St Davids area is outstanding, so we’ll take a boat trip around Ramsey Island with Padraig Rees and his naturalist mother, Nona Rees, to see it. Cintra has known both Nona and Padraig for many years. Since it’s May, the sea birds will be nesting in the cliffs, so we’ll see the thousands of razorbills, guillemots, kittiwakes, choughs and many other birds who make their home in the area. If we’re lucky, we’ll also see Atlantic gray seals and porpoises.
As we begin to head north, we’ll stop by the prehistoric burial chamber of Pentre Ifan, dating to 2500 BCE, and another 6th c Celtic church at Nevern, which has one of Wales’s high crosses in its churchyard. Nearby is the medieval Pilgrims’ Way leading to St Davids, where we can see the footprints of those ancient saints deeply etched into the bedrock underfoot. Members of St Brynach’s church at Nevern will welcome us with home made Welsh refreshments.
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| Walking on Ramsey Island, South Wales |
We spend an entire day on the placid and pastoral Llŷn Peninsula, following the ancient Pilgrims’ Way, beginning at St Cybi’s Well where we will have a healing service. We’ll then visit a few of the ancient little churches, all dedicated to Celtic saints, and we’ll end atop Uwchmynydd, looking across to Bardsey Island, the Isle of 20,000 Saints. This whole area is probably the most Welsh part of Wales, where the Welsh language is more common than English. We’ll meet a number of people who live and work and pray in the area, and we’ll have a chance to practice our own Welsh, as well!
We can’t forget that the Romans were in Wales, too. This was the farthest extent of the Roman Empire, so we will stop at the Roman Fort of Segontium, before visiting the mighty Edwardian castle in Caernarfon. Afterward we go again into the mists of pre-history at the burial chamber of Barclodiad y Gawres on Anglesey Island, with its mysterious etched cave designs; and then we’ll have another Eucharist at another Holy Well at Penmon.
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| The Eucharist at St Seriol's Holy Well, Anglesey Island, North Wales |
As for meals, most evening meals will be three course dinners offering several choices, served either in our hotel or in a local restaurant, but always specializing in Welsh dishes made from fresh local produce. We’ll eat in several pubs, too, since pubs are a way of life in Britain. Vegetarian options are always on every menu.
And every bit of this for only $3795! This price is all-inclusive, covering round trip airfare between Newark NJ and the UK, all trip-related ground transportation, all accommodations and all meals, all entry fees and activities described above, and all tips and gratuities. It does not cover the cost of any alcoholic beverages on the trip, your passport, or transportation between your hometown and Newark International Airport.
For more information, contact Harold: hhhallock@comcast.net or Cintra: cintra@comcast.net
Led by Sr. Cintra Pemberton, OSH and Sr. Deborah Magdalene, OSH
June 6-19, 2008
The itinerary includes: Istanbul, Bodrum, Halicarnasus, Knidos, Gumuslik, Euromos, Labraunda, Iassos, Kazikli, Miletus, Didyma, Ephesus, Bodrum, Cappadocia.
All-inclusive price: $4,550.
Srs. Cintra and Magdalene have planned this pilgrimage in such a way that we hope it will touch each heart in moving and profound ways and help pilgrims deepen their relationship with God. As with previous OSH pilgrimage programs, the price is all-inclusive. Once the state fee has been paid, there are no further trip-related expenses except lunch in the Istanbul airport on days 2 and 9.
Paul's missions led him first to Asia Minor, modern day Turkey, where there were some of the largest and most influential cities in the eastern Roman world, such as Ephesus and Imletus, which we will visit. It was among the people of cities such as these that Christianity first spread beyond its home base of Syria and Palestine.
In the early days of Christianity, Cappadocia became a great center for Christians when first fleeing from pagan persecutions. Here they found that the soft rock could readily be worked, and so the hollowed out hiding places. Although it is the architecture of the churches which first catches the visitor's eye, wht holds and retains it ate the brilliant frescoes which cover the interior of these churches. Most were painted between the 8th and 12th centuries. The painters used colors derived from local rocks and herbs. Because the frescoes are in the dark and the climate is dry, the colors are as fresh and vivid today as when first painted.
Most of the historic sites are state-owned, so public worship in them is not allowed, but whenever possible, we will offer Eucharist in ancient Christian sites. Other prayers will be offered in available suitable locations or on our yachts.
For more information, contact Sr. Cintra at cintra@comcast.net (706-798-5201).