<strong>Where would you go?</strong>
It would have to be a Saint Oscar Romero pilgrimage to El Salvador. I was there quite a few years ago and it would be wonderful to go back now he is a saint – of course, he was a saint to the people there for many years. His two-roomed house, in the grounds of a cancer hospital, has been made into a museum and the simplicity of it is incredible. Next door is the chapel where he was killed – gunned down saying Mass in 1980 – and you can still see the bullet holes in the wall.
<strong>Any special stops?</strong>
So many local organisations are still inspired by Saint Oscar to work for justice, peace and reconciliation. I might be able to see a CAFOD partner or two, too. I would stop off at the University of Central America to pay tribute to the six Jesuits, their housekeeper and her daughter who were killed in 1989.
<strong>Dream travelling companions?</strong>
It would have to be my family – husband and daughter, who at 16 would want some detours to shopping. But having a Jesuit with us would be quite important too – perhaps we could get Jon Sobrino to travel with us.
<strong>Relocate a favourite pub, bar or restaurant on to the route?</strong>
We have a local, family-run Italian restaurant that we go to a lot – they are so lovely, it’s like being in their front room.
<strong>Sleep under the stars or in a church hall?</strong>
Oh, I don’t do camping anymore – too many experiences waking up in a muddy field. But it would be wonderful to be able to stare at an expanse of night sky and feel insignificant.
<strong>What books would you take? </strong>
I love a good old-fashioned thriller and political books as well. However, two I’ve recently been reading are Anna Rowlands’ Towards a Politics of Communion and Archbishop Justin Welby’s book The Power of Reconciliation. Very powerful!
<strong>Which Bible verse would you ponder?</strong>
With the encyclical Fratelli Tutti I’ve been getting into the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: but it should start at verse 25 as we should never forget the purpose of the story was in response to a question to test or trick Jesus). There is so much in there to reflect on.
<strong>What’s your go-to prayer?</strong>
Every week at CAFOD we have prayers, and we draw our blessings from the Northumbria Community – this is one of my favourites, and very apt for a pilgrimage:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
<strong>What’s your speciality recipe?</strong>
My husband does the better cooking in our house, but I like making soups. I guess once you’ve boiled and pureed something, anything turns out OK.
<strong>What’s your singalong?</strong>
I like contemporary Christian music, things like “My Lighthouse” or “This is Amazing Grace”, and anyone who knows me knows I’m a football fan, so there would have to be a rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, which will always keep my spirits up.
<strong>What luxury would you bring with you?</strong>
As much as it would be an opportunity to detox from the screens, I would have to take my phone and charger. During Covid I did various online exercise classes so perhaps I could still do that. Whether it’s finding out what’s going on in the world, to keeping in touch with folk, the phone is vital.
<strong>What would you miss most?</strong>
Being on a pilgrimage, especially in somewhere like El Salvador, would give me a completely different routine and focus, so that would make up for whatever I missed.
<strong>And miss least?</strong>
London traffic. Although San Salvador is a busy city, I’d hope to get to the countryside to get away from the noise and pollution.
<strong>Where would you go?</strong>
It would have to be a Saint Oscar Romero pilgrimage to El Salvador. I was there quite a few years ago and it would be wonderful to go back now he is a saint – of course, he was a saint to the people there for many years. His two-roomed house, in the grounds of a cancer hospital, has been made into a museum and the simplicity of it is incredible. Next door is the chapel where he was killed – gunned down saying Mass in 1980 – and you can still see the bullet holes in the wall.
<strong>Any special stops?</strong>
So many local organisations are still inspired by Saint Oscar to work for justice, peace and reconciliation. I might be able to see a CAFOD partner or two, too. I would stop off at the University of Central America to pay tribute to the six Jesuits, their housekeeper and her daughter who were killed in 1989.
<strong>Dream travelling companions?</strong>
It would have to be my family – husband and daughter, who at 16 would want some detours to shopping. But having a Jesuit with us would be quite important too – perhaps we could get Jon Sobrino to travel with us.
<strong>Relocate a favourite pub, bar or restaurant on to the route?</strong>
We have a local, family-run Italian restaurant that we go to a lot – they are so lovely, it’s like being in their front room.
<strong>Sleep under the stars or in a church hall?</strong>
Oh, I don’t do camping anymore – too many experiences waking up in a muddy field. But it would be wonderful to be able to stare at an expanse of night sky and feel insignificant.
<strong>What books would you take? </strong>
I love a good old-fashioned thriller and political books as well. However, two I’ve recently been reading are Anna Rowlands’ Towards a Politics of Communion and Archbishop Justin Welby’s book The Power of Reconciliation. Very powerful!
<strong>Which Bible verse would you ponder?</strong>
With the encyclical Fratelli Tutti I’ve been getting into the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: but it should start at verse 25 as we should never forget the purpose of the story was in response to a question to test or trick Jesus). There is so much in there to reflect on.
<strong>What’s your go-to prayer?</strong>
Every week at CAFOD we have prayers, and we draw our blessings from the Northumbria Community – this is one of my favourites, and very apt for a pilgrimage:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
<strong>What’s your speciality recipe?</strong>
My husband does the better cooking in our house, but I like making soups. I guess once you’ve boiled and pureed something, anything turns out OK.
<strong>What’s your singalong?</strong>
I like contemporary Christian music, things like “My Lighthouse” or “This is Amazing Grace”, and anyone who knows me knows I’m a football fan, so there would have to be a rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, which will always keep my spirits up.
<strong>What luxury would you bring with you?</strong>
As much as it would be an opportunity to detox from the screens, I would have to take my phone and charger. During Covid I did various online exercise classes so perhaps I could still do that. Whether it’s finding out what’s going on in the world, to keeping in touch with folk, the phone is vital.
<strong>What would you miss most?</strong>
Being on a pilgrimage, especially in somewhere like El Salvador, would give me a completely different routine and focus, so that would make up for whatever I missed.
<strong>And miss least?</strong>
London traffic. Although San Salvador is a busy city, I’d hope to get to the countryside to get away from the noise and pollution.
