In the Footsteps of The Celtic Saints

Transcription

1 In the Footsteps of The Celtic Saints Celtic and Roman Christianity in Scotland and England Edinburgh, Bamburgh, Lindisfarne, Durham, Whitby, York (featuring The York Mystery Plays) JULY 12 t h r o u g h 23, 2014

2 July 12 Cross the Atlantic to Edinburgh this evening as we begin our pilgrimage. As travelers come from many different parts of the country, we find that most travelers prefer to have flexibility in their air transportation. After you have placed a deposit on this tour, we will contact you regarding your air schedule. July 13 After arrival in Edinburgh, we will make our way to the hotel for a rest for some, and a walk around We will also tour St Giles Cathedral, the historic City Church of Edinburgh,- the Mother Church of Presbyterianism containing the Chapel of the Order of the Thistle (Scotland s chivalric company of knights headed by the Queen). We will enjoy a walking tour of the famous Royal Mile- its cobbled streets, tiny shops, and steep allies will invoke the medieval era. As we walk, we will hear the stories of Scotland s great figures of literature. We will view Edinburgh Castle, dominating Edinburgh s skyline and giving stunning views across the city and countryside. (B, D) July 15 We travel eastward by coach after breakfast. We will be tracing St. Aidan s missionary journey to the Island of Lindisfarne (off the coast of Northumbria in England). King Oswald called Aidan from Iona in Scotland to evangelize his kingdom in 635 AD, and he settled Aidan and his fellow monks on Lindisfarne near his palace at Bamburgh. Aidan and his brothers set out on foot, preaching the Gospel all the neighborhood of the hotel for others. We will then gather for a welcome reception to meet our guide, Mrs. Kathleen Winch, and our fellow travelers. Overnight at the Bruntsfield Hotel, Edinburgh, our home for the next two nights. (D) July 14 After breakfast at our hotel, we set out to explore the historic city of Edinburgh. Our tour of Edinburgh will include the official residence of Her Majesty The Queen- the Palace of Holyrood. The Palace was once the home of Mary, Queen of Scots and was the setting for many dramatic episodes in her short life. over Northumbria and planting new mission stations as they went. After Aidan s death in 651, St. Cuthbert succeeded him as Prior, and followed in Aidan s missionary footsteps. Dinner and overnight for the next two nights at the Hoggs Head Inn. (B,D) July 16 We have breakfast in our hotel, and then we explore Bamburgh Castle, the historic seat of the Northumbrian Kings. In the afternoon we enjoy a boat trip to the Inner Farne island, where Cuthbert lived as a hermit in his old age. Legend has it that

3 Cuthbert prayed all night, standing up to his neck in the cold North Sea - and seals licked him to warm him up in the morning! We return to the Hoggs Head Inn for Dinner and Overnight. (B,D) July 17 Today we travel by coach southward to Hadrian s Wall, built by the Romans in the mid-100s AD to protect their province of Britain from the fierce tribes to the north. We visit the archeological dig at Vindolandia, one of the larger Roman camps along the Wall. In the museum there, we notice fascinating evidence of Christianity in Northumbria even before St. Aidan arrived. Did God prepare hearts there to receive Aidan s message? We continue on by coach to Durham for Evensong at Durham Cathedral, dinner and overnight at the Royal County Hotel Durham. ( B,D) lifetime the currents of Benedictine Christianity spread northward from Canterbury, enriching the Celtic spirituality that Aidan had introduced. After St. Paul s Jarrow, we visit the adjacent Bede s World, a beautifully re-created peasant village of the early 700s. We return by coach to Durham for Dinner and Overnight. (B,D) July 19 We will continue our way south and visit the village of Escomb today. Here is the oldest complete parish church in England. Set within a Celtic circle, Escomb parish church dates from the 670s (the age of St. Cuthbert) and is built with stone taken from a nearby Roman camp. Continuing on by coach, we travel to the port of Whitby and the site of St. Hilda s Seventh Century monastery for men and women there. Hilda hosted the famous Synod of Whitby there in 664, which blended together the Celtic and Roman traditions of Christianity in England. Dinner and Overnight in nearby Scarborough. (B,D) July 18 Exploring Durham Cathedral where St. Cuthbert is buried behind the high altar, will be a highlight of the trip. Be sure to notice the columns in the Nave all different! After lunch we skip forward fifty years from the age of Cuthbert, traveling by coach to St. Paul s church in Jarrow. Here the famous scholar Bede, who is buried in the Cathedral at Durham, lived and wrote his famous History of the English Church and People, through which we know the world of St. Aidan and the Celtic saints in northern England. In Bede s July 20 After breakfast in our hotel, we travel by coach southward to the walled city of York. Here we delight in the performance of the York Mystery Plays, a stunning revival of the medieval Biblical drama produced by the merchant guilds of York. Using the whole

4 historic city as its backdrop, The York Mystery Play tells the drama of salvation with unforgettable beauty. Dinner and Overnight in York. (B,D) July 21 Explore York! York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence. We will walk the medieval city walls, visit York Minster, and see two historic parish churches. Then we will have time for exploring York s rich history; from Roman York, to Anglo Saxon York, to Viking York,we will have time for personal exploration to visit York s fascinating museums or for leisurely shopping. Dinner and Overnight in York. (B) Lindisfarne as a young man. Later he walked to Rome and back three times, and brought back with him the Benedictine pattern of monasticism which he admired greatly. In the years after the Synod of Whitby in 664, Wilfrid began planting Benedictine monasteries in the north of England, the earliest of which we see in Ripon Cathedral s crypt. After lunch we continue to nearby Fountains Abbey, to visit the most complete ruins of a large 12th century monastery anywhere in Europe. In the late afternoon we travel south to Manchester Airport for Dinner and Overnight. (B,D) July 23 We end our pilgrimage with great thanks as we fly home from Manchester. July 22 After breaking our fast as medieval travelers would say, we go by coach to the old city of Ripon. In the crypt of Ripon Cathedral there, we visit the earliest remains of Benedictine Christianity in England. St. Wilfrid of Ripon was a monk at

5 T O U R L E A D E R S The Rev. William Murdoch ( Bishop Bill ) was appointed bishop of the Anglican Diocese in New England in Bishop Bill has led regional Alpha Holy Spirit Weekends of more than 200 Catholics, Episcopalians and people from various Christian Churches. His leadership has grown to include training clergy and lay leaders in the Alpha program and the renewal of the local church. He has served as an adjunct professor at Gordon- Conwell Theological Seminary. Bishop Bill has served in shortterm missions in India, teaching and preaching in Madras, Bangalore, and Calcutta and as part of a SOMA team to Uganda. Bishop Bill s passion for discipleship and evangelism has been seen in leadership seminars and the continued work of the convocation. The Rev. Dr. Leslie P. Fairfield Professor Les Fairfield was educated at Princeton and Harvard, and for thirty years ( ) was professor of Church History at Trinity. He is the author of John Bale: Mythmaker for the English Reformation. He taught courses at Trinity ranging from Patristics to Postmodernism. Les retired from full-time teaching in He continues to lead study tours and to teach part-time at Trinity. To balance an incredibly active schedule, Bishop Bill retreats with his wife Sally to their cottage in Maine. There he enjoys fishing, reading, and the company of their adult children, Peter, Ryan, and Megan.

6 T O U R C O N D I T I O N S AIR TRANSPORTATION The price of the tour is land only. Connoisseurs Tours Travelers come from many different parts of the country. Therefore we have found that most travelers prefer to have flexibility in their air transportation. We will provide a suggested air schedule that includes the group s international flights coordinated with flights from your home city to suit your particular preference. After you have placed a deposit on this tour we will contact you regarding your air schedule. PRICE OF TOUR $ per person double occupancy land only, airfare is additional. $ per person supplement for sole occupancy in hotels RESERVATIONS AND PAYMENT DEPOSITS SHOULD BE SENT TO CONNOISSEURS TOURS IN THE AMOUNT OF $ PER PASSENGER TO RESERVE A PLACE ON THE TOUR The balance of the payment is due April 12, Checks should be made to CONNOISSEURS TOURS. Payment can be made via personal checks or any major credit card. CANCELLATIONS A $ per person cancellation fee is charged for any cancellations after the deposit has been paid. All deposits are non-refundable 180 days prior to departure, 91 days to 60 days up to the departure date 50% of the of tour price is non-refundable, 59 days up to the date of departure and later 100% of the tour price is non-refundable. Connoisseurs Tours prepays all hotels, cruise lines, transportation, meals, guides, etc. in advance. Connoisseurs Tours strongly advises passengers to purchase Trip Cancellation interruption insurance, which is available through Connoisseurs Tours. RESPONSIBILITY Responsibility of the operators, CONNOISSEURS TOURS is limited. They act only as agents for the passengers in regard to travel whether by railroad, motor coach, private car, boat, aircraft or any other conveyances, and assume no obligation for injury, damage, loss, accident, delay or irregularity which may be occasioned either by reason of defect in any vehicle or through the acts of default of any company or person engaged in conveying the passengers or in carrying out the arrangements of the tour. Connoisseurs Tours can accept no responsibility for loss or additional expenses due to delay or changes in schedule or other causes. The right is reserved to decline to accept or retain any person as a member of any tour or to change or withdraw the tour as circumstances demand. All rates are based on tariffs in effect at the time the tour was planned and are subject to change in the event of adjustment therein. Baggage is carried at the owner s risk and baggage insurance is recommended. Final payment by the passenger to Connoisseurs Tours shall be deemed to be consent to the above. All carriers, steamship lines, and other transportation companies whose services are featured in these tours, are not to be held responsible for any act, omission or event during the time passengers are not on board their conveyances. The passage contract in use by the companies when issued shall constitute the sole contract between the companies and the purchaser of these tours and/or passage. CONNOISSEURS TOURS reserves the right to substitute hotels of equal or superior quality. TRAVEL INSURANCE The Connoisseurs Tours Protection Plan will protect you against unforeseen circumstances that can result in trip cancellation and additional expenses such as costs related to medical emergencies. The Connoisseurs Protection Plan is specifically designed to provide you with peace of mind knowing you are protected against the financial impact of unexpected events while on your trip. You are protected against the financial impact of unexpected events: Trip Cancellation, Interruption, and Delay; Baggage Loss or Damage or Delay; Emergency Sickness or Accident; Medical evacuation and Repatriation. $ per person VALIDITY July 2013 through January 2015

7 RESERVATION FORM I n t h e F o o t s t e p s o f T h e C e l t i c S a i n t s July 12 through 23, 2014 Name: Address: City: State: Zip: Telephone: Enclosed is a deposit of for people. Check (Checks should be made payable to Connoisseurs Tours) Credit Card: Visa Mastercard Amex Discover Card #: Exp Date: / Security Code: Signature: Rooming with: Please reserve place(s) for this tour. A deposit in the amount of $ per person (plus optional insurance) is required for a reservation. q I wish to purchase single accommodations $ per person supplement q I wish to purchase the Connoisseurs Tours Protection Plan $298 per person q Please contact me about airline reservations Date: / / 2013 q I have read and understand the Terms and Conditions of this tour Please mail your reservation form and deposit to: Connoisseurs Tours One Tiffany Place Savannah, GA (912)

8 Why go on a Pilgrimage? by Dr. L.P. Fairfield 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 Dr. Les Fairfield 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! SAVANNAH PITTSBURGH LOS ANGELES SAN FRANCISCO