The Columbans in Britain are proud to be partnering with the Laudato Si’ Centre at Wardley Hall, Salford, to host a special pilgrimage. Taking place during the Season of Creation, on the 25th September 2025, the pilgrimage is a powerful opportunity for participants to live out their faith through action, prayer and communion with one another and with creation.
A Pilgrimage of Gratitude and Hope
‘Hope for Our Common Home’ serves as a thank you to the Diocese of Salford, where Columban Missionaries are currently preaching the Annual Mission Appeal in many of its parishes. It is a gesture of appreciation for the welcome and hospitality that our Mission Appeals Team have encountered during their visits, as well as a token of thanks for the prayers and generous financial contributions made to the Columbans.
Stephen Awre, Mission Office Administrator for the Columbans in Britain is helping to organise the pilgrimage. He explains, “The diocese of Salford has been extremely generous in their response to our Annual Mission Appeal this year. Donations made to the Columbans will help to make a real difference to those living on the margins of life and will continue to fund activities in areas of education, pastoral care, peacebuilding, interfaith dialogue and environmental action.”
Concern for the Environment
This year’s pilgrimage is a public and prayerful expression of our concern for the environment, echoing ‘the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor’, as highlighted in Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2025. By coming together in this physical act of pilgrimage, we bear witness to our responsibility to care for, and protect, creation.
Along the nine-mile route from the Laudato Si’ Centre at Wardley Hall to Salford Cathedral’s Temporary Church, pilgrims will engage with pressing environmental challenges of our time, such as biodiversity loss and the climate crisis. These issues will be explored through the lens of faith, highlighting their impact on vulnerable communities around the world. We will hear from Columban missionaries journeying alongside those most affected by environmental degradation, who will offer insights into the realities faced by these communities. We will call to mind these people as we walk and pray for an end to human destructive behaviours that negatively impact the Earth and for reconciliation with our Creator.
Why a Pilgrimage?
In Laudato Si’, the late Pope Francis asked us to “hear the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor”. Before his death in April 2025, in celebration of the Jubilee Year 2025, he also called us to be ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. ‘Hope for Our Common Home’ is our response to this call.
“Being a pilgrim isn’t just about travelling physically, it’s about moving spiritually towards greater compassion, justice and care for others, especially the Earth and those most affected by injustice” explains James Trewby, Columban Justice Peace and Ecology Co-ordinator in Britain who, alongside Stephen, is also working to organise the pilgrimage. He adds, “Our pilgrimage gives participants the opportunity to embody Pope Francis’ vision of a Church that goes out to the peripheries and encourages them to step out of the everyday and explore deeper relationships with God, creation and with one another too.”
Reflecting on Our Last Pilgrimage
This is not the first time the Columbans have walked in faith together. During Laudato Si’ Week in May 2023 we led a successful pilgrimage along the Columban Way in Cornwall, a heritage route inspired by St. Columban, our missionary namesake, who journeyed far and wide to share the Gospel. That pilgrimage brought together Columban supporters, young people, clergy, religious and lay members of the Church from all walks of life. Stephen explains, “Our pilgrimage through Cornwall taught us how deeply people desire to connect faith with action, and how powerful it is to walk together in prayer and purpose. As co-organisers of this year’s pilgrimage, we’ve drawn upon those experiences to shape a journey through Salford that invites people to be Pilgrims of Hope.”
Our Partnership with The Laudato Si’ Centre
The Laudato Si’ Centre, based at Wardley Hall in the Diocese of Salford, is a pioneering hub for ecological education, practical action and spiritual reflection inspired by Laudato Si’. Its mission is to empower individuals, parishes and schools to live out their faith through care for our common home.
The Columbans in Britain have a close and valued relationship with the Laudato Si’ Centre, partnering on events, workshops, liturgies and awareness-raising initiatives that put Catholic social teaching into practice. This pilgrimage is the latest expression of that partnership, offering a space for prayer, dialogue and ecological witness.
Emily Cahill, Environment and Learning Officer for the Laudato Si’ Centre, said: “This is such an exciting opportunity to celebrate the Season of Creation in this Jubilee Year with this fantastic pilgrimage experience with the Columban Missionaries in Britain.”
She adds, “From the earliest beginnings of Jubilee tradition, care for creation has been an integral part of the Holy Year and so it is with great joy that we announce this wonderful opportunity to reconnect and rediscover our call to be loving stewards of God’s creation.”
Season of Creation: A Time to Act
Taking place during the Season of Creation, this pilgrimage is part of a global movement of Christians who come together each year from the 1st September to 4th October to pray and act for our common home.
The Columbans have long supported this season because it aligns with our commitment to protect and preserve biodiversity, and to stand with communities impacted by environmental degradation. Our missionary work in countries such as the Philippines, Peru, Pakistan and Fiji often places us in communities on the frontline of the climate crisis. We see first-hand the devastating impact of extractive industries, pollution, deforestation and water scarcity. We also witness the resilience and hope of communities who are working for change. ‘Hope For Our Common Home’ is a moment to walk in solidarity with the Earth and with those who defend it. It is a moment to declare, with our feet and our prayers, that another way is possible.
What the Event Will Look Like
Our pilgrimage will begin in the morning with a short prayer liturgy at the Laudato Si’ Centre. Pilgrims will then commence the nine-mile walk to the cathedral site, stopping at various parishes enroute where there will be opportunities for discussion, group prayer and quiet reflection, as well as much-needed comfort breaks!
We’ll bring our pilgrimage to an end with a vibrant celebration of Mass at 6pm in Salford Cathedral’s Temporary Church, an event which is open to all who wish to join!
Ways You Can Join Us
Whether you are based in Salford or elsewhere, you are warmly invited to join this celebratory and prayerful experience. Pilgrimages are not just physical journeys; they are spiritual movements. Even if you’re unable to join the walk in person, we invite you explore our virtual pilgrimage resources at your own pace. You can join us for the opening prayer liturgy at the Laudato Si’ Centre, or for evening Mass at Salford Cathedral’s Temporary Church.
We will be sharing more information in the coming weeks!
How to Register
To find out more about the pilgrimage, and to register your interest, please contact: laudatosi@dioceseofsalford.org.uk.