Exclusive Member Pilgrimages
Why Go on a Pilgrimage?
The Rev. Dr. Les Fairfield: Why do Christians go on pilgrimages?
Why do Christians go on pilgrimages? Several reasons. First, to enrich our imagination...
Second, pilgrimages remind us that God works in specific times and places...
Finally, pilgrimages remind us that Christian life is a journey. Often our lives seem random and without purpose. Taking time off, setting time apart to make a pilgrimage, actually moving from one place towards another – all these help us to remember that God’s time is an arrow, not an endless weary circle...
Full Article: Why do Christians go on pilgrimages? Several reasons. First, to enrich our imagination. When I first went to Israel, I spent a day sitting along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. I looked across the lake to the same brown hills that Jesus would have seen. The sun was warm, and there were two fishing boats with gray sails out on the water. All at once I could imagine Jesus standing in a fishing boat, a little way out on the lake, teaching the crowds on the shore and giving them hope. Now years later, remembering that scene helps my imagination live into the Gospel Story. Second, pilgrimages remind us that God works in specific times and places. Christianity is not an abstract philosophy. It is a story about God bursting into people’s lives in specific times and in definite places. And changing history! I remember visiting the medieval Celtic monastery at Clonmacnoise, where St. Kieran founded a school that helped the Irish save civilization. Clonmacnoise taught thousands of Celtic people how to read and write, and it put them in touch with the Gospel Story. Going on pilgrimage to Clonmacnoise (six or eight times now) reminds me that God changes history though heroes like Kieran, in specific times and places. Finally, pilgrimages remind us that Christian life is a journey. Often our lives seem random and without purpose. Taking time off, setting time apart to make a pilgrimage, actually moving from one place towards another – all these help us to remember that God’s time is an arrow, not an endless weary circle. Jesus is leading us through life to a definite goal, namely celebration forever in His presence. I have a friend who made a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Millions have made that same journey on foot, over the last thousand years. My friend wrote a book about his pilgrimage, called The Way is Made By Walking. That long trek reminds Christians that life itself has a goal and a purpose. Every step counts!
The Rev. Dr. Les Fairfield
The Rev. Dr. Les Fairfield was educated at Princeton and Harvard, and for thirty years (1976-2006) was Professor of Church History at Trinity. He is the author of John Bale: Mythmaker for English Reformation. He taught courses at Trinity ranging from Patristics to Postmodernism. Les retired from full time teaching in 2006. He continues to lead study tours and to teach part-time at Trinity.
Upcoming Pilgrimages
Select parish pilgrimages are privately listed and not available on this website. The Pilgrimages listed below are a few examples of Pilgrimage itineraries. If you need assistance accessing your parish’s pilgrimage, kindly contact us for a private link.
June 9 to 20, 2025
Members of St. Philip’s Church are invited to join The Rev. Jeff Miller on this pilgrimage and travel through Greece to all of the major sites that Paul visited on his missionary journeys including Athens, Corinth, Meteora (the famous hilltop monasteries), Kavala, Philippi, and Thessaloniki. Together, we will sail through the Greek Isles and along the coast of Turkey to visit Ephesus, Patmos (where John received his revelations), Rhodes, Crete, and Santorini.
February 26 to March 4, 2026
All Saints’ members and friends are invited to embark on a transformational journey through South Africa with The Rev. Naomi Tutu and The Rev. Dr. Simon Mainwaring. We will experience the iconic landmarks of Soweto, Cape Town, and Johannesburg, including the Cradle of Humankind and South Africa’s Constitutional Court, and enjoy fellowship with our brothers and sisters in the Anglican Church of South Africa.
Our Church Community
Connoisseurs Tours has been designing Pilgrimages in England, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, Greece, Egypt, The Holy Land, and Biblical Jordan for major Episcopal and Anglican Parishes, Seminaries, and Study Groups for more than 40 years.
We are pleased to partner with the Episcopal Parish Network and support their continued work.
Welcome to the New Era of Travel™
As we enter the New Era of Travel we know our guests are as optimistic and eager to travel as always. We also realize that being both flexible and realistic are the keys to any great journey.
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