Pilgrimage of Hope – Marymount School’s Walk to St Ann’s
Tuesday, 1st April 2025 marked a special moment of grace and solidarity at St Ann’s Catholic Church, Kingston Hill, as we welcomed students and staff from Marymount School for a Pilgrimage Walk inspired by the theme: Pilgrims of Hope – Walking with Creation, Walking with Compassion.
The pilgrims journeyed through Richmond Park to reach St Ann’s, embracing nature as sacred and seeing their footsteps as a form of prayer. Their walk supported a powerful cause – raising funds for their sister school in Zambia, especially towards the development of a science lab. But even more, it became a spiritual offering of compassion and hope.
Fr James Raj opened the service with a heartfelt welcome, reminding everyone that “this is not just a walk across distance, but a journey of the heart – a moment to encounter God in nature, in one another, and within.”
The prayer service featured:
- A moving Opening Prayer invoking God’s presence in creation.
- A reflective reading of Psalm 104, highlighting the wonders of nature.
- A beautiful rendition of St Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of the Creatures, celebrating all elements of creation as brothers and sisters.
- Intercessory Prayers calling for peace, justice, education, and ecological care.
Fr James Raj also shared a short reflection, inviting the young pilgrims to see this not as a one-time event, but the beginning of a lifelong walk in faith, compassion, and environmental stewardship.
The service concluded with a special blessing:
“May the earth support your steps and the wind carry your prayers.”
🌎✨ We thank Marymount School for their spirit of unity and care, and we pray that their walk continues to echo love and change in the lives they touch – near and far.
