Northern Cross (pilgrimage)

Northern Cross is an annual, ecumenical, Christian cross-carrying, walking pilgrimage to Lindisfarne (Holy Island) that takes place at Easter. The pilgrimage was founded in 1976 by walkers from Student Cross seeking a new destination, who led a group of pilgrims on a walk from Penrith (near Carlisle) to Lindisfarne, taking it in turns to carry the Cross. The pilgrimage has grown over the years and currently consists of five different 'legs' that start from different areas of the Scotland-England border region leading up to the celebration of the Easter Triduum. The Pilgirmage has been officially ecumenical since its start and welcomes all faiths and those of none, although it has a strong Christian flavour.

The act of the pilgrimage is considered^{[by whom?]} a unique witness to the passion, death and resurrection of Christ, as carrying a cross is a very symbolic act, which relives the road to Calvary, and reminds of the importance of Christ, and specifically Easter, both to the pilgrims taking part and those who watch it pass. Pilgrims are hosted along their way by the communities they pass through (Anglican, Catholic, Church of Scotland, Methodist and Baptist) and the walkers join in worship with them along the way. The pilgrimage is open to people of all ages, and all shades of Christianity.^{[citation needed]}

For many, Northern Cross is said to give a chance to get away from the world, a retreat, to top-up their faith, and to share in a small Christian community for the week.^[1]

It has been featured in mainstream media on many occasions, notably on BBC Songs of Praise,^[2][3] and various journals and daily newspapers.^[4][5][6]

All the legs walk for seven days, over a distance of approximately 70 to 120 miles. They meet at the tidal causeway on the morning of Good Friday and celebrate the Easter liturgy together on Lindisfarne over the Easter weekend.

The five legs are known as:

• St Cuthbert's (starts walking from Melrose)
• Northumbrian (starts walking from the village of Bellingham near Hexham)
• Lanark (starts walking from Lanark)
• Haddington (starts walking from Haddington, south of Edinburgh)
• Carlisle (starts walking from Carlisle)

References

1. ^ 'Franckie', quoted 20.2.2010 in http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/7263957/Modern-pilgrims.html
2. ^ BBC Songs of Praise, 18 May 2008 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00bdmm0 [accessed 23 February 2010]
3. ^ BC Songs of Praise, 18 May 2008 - programme factsheet http://www.bbc.co.uk/songsofpraise/factsheets/20080518.html [accessed 23 February 2010]
4. ^ Anglican Reader magazine Summer 2008 http://www.readers.cofe.anglican.org/u_d_lib_pub/m1052.pdf [accessed 23 February 2010]
5. ^ Daily Telegraph 9 April 2009 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/countryside/5126285/Easter-2009-top-five-pilgrim-routes-in-Britain.html
6. ^ Daily Telegraph 20 February 2010 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/7263957/Modern-pilgrims.html

External links

• Northern Cross official website
• Northern Cross Facebook fan page
• Northern Cross Flickr site
• YouTube - short film made on NorthernCross 2006, but representative of any year
• Student Cross, a similar Easter pilgrimage, which walks during Holy Week to Walsingham in Norfolk; initially set up in 1948, it was veteran walkers from this who founded Northern Cross.
• Scottish Cross, another natural development from Student and Northern Cross with cross carrying pilgrims walking to Iona on two routes - Fort William and Loch Lomond Legs - during Holy Week.