Saturday 20 June 2015

Information for Pilgrims

Tel: 01727 890245
e-mail: pilgrimage@stalbanscathedral.org
www.stalbanscathedral.org

The Story of Alban

Alban lived during the third century in the Roman city of Verulamium. He was a
worshipper of Roman gods, until one day he gave shelter to a stranger fleeing persecution.
The stranger was a Christian priest, and Alban was so moved by his faith and courage that
he asked to be taught more about Christianity.
Before long the authorities came to arrest the fugitive priest. But Alban, inspired in his
new-found faith, exchanged clothes with him, allowing him to escape. The Roman soldiers
were furious at this deception and instead arrested Alban and brought him before the
judge, who ordered that Alban should receive the punishment due to the priest, if he had
indeed become a Christian.
Alban refused to renounce his faith by sacrificing to the Roman gods, and instead declared:
I am Alban, and I worship and adore the true and living God, who created all things.
He was brought out of the town, across the river and up a hill to the site of his execution.
Legend tells us that a spring of water miraculously appeared to quench Albans thirst; and
the executioners eyes fell out after he had beheaded Alban.
Alban is honoured as the first British martyr, and his grave (on which the Cathedral and
Abbey Church of St Alban was built) quickly became a place of pilgrimage. For over 1700
years, people have journeyed to this place to remember Alban, to pray for peace and
healing, and to seek God.
Giant puppets retell the story of Albans martyrdom. It is not only a stunning spectacle; it
is a profoundly moving experience.
Alban has long been an example of the passion that can erupt in the converted the
willingness to give yourself wholly for what gives ultimate meaning to your life. To what
lengths will we go, and how are we willing to offer our very lives, for that which grounds
and sustains that life?
The Alban Pilgrimage is an opportunity to reconnect with that invigorating, enlivening, and
transforming passion.

If your group would like extra posters and flyers,

please let us know and we will be happy to send you a supply.
Prayers which can be used at the beginning of the journey and on the return
can be downloaded from the Cathedral website.

The Alban Pilgrimage Timetable of the day

10.30am Please aim to arrive by 10.30am
ready for the procession to set off at 11.00am prompt.

Visiting parishes and groups are split into different areas to form up for the
procession. These are marked with coloured flags.
When you register, you will be e-mailed a flag allocation sheet.
Please remember to bring this sheet with you on the day and ask the stewards for
directions.

11.00am Pilgrimage Procession begins through the City Centre

The route begins from St Peters Church, St Albans,

and continues to the Town Hall, where our guest, the Archbishop of Canterbury will
address the crowd. We will then process to the West End of the Cathedral.
(See the map on page 5 for details)

c. 12noon Festival Eucharist (following the Procession)

Preacher: The Most Revd Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury

12noon
2.00pm

Childrens Worship and Activities

In the marquee, situated in the Cathedral Grounds. See following page for details.

Orthodox Service and Veneration of the Relic

at the Shrine of Saint Alban

Organised by the Ecumenical Chaplaincy and the Fellowship of

St Alban and St Sergius - all welcome.

2.30pm

Question and Answer Session in the Nave

with the Archbishop of Canterbury and Visiting Bishops on the subject of world mission.

3.00pm

Anointing for Healing in the Lady Chapel

4.00pm

Festival Evensong and Procession to the Shrine

Preacher: Mgr Jean-Charles Descubes, Archbishop of Rouen

As part of todays celebrations, we are delighted to be welcoming

Bishops and Priests from our link dioceses in the Caribbean
There will be a range of Caribbean-themed stalls in the Cathedral Grounds.
The Abbots Kitchen will be open from 10.00am-4.30pm
serving breakfasts, lunches, afternoon teas, and a range of snacks and drinks.
The Cathedral Shop & Bookstall will be open from 10.00am-5.00pm
selling a range of pilgrimage merchandise, books, greetings cards, CDs, and much more.

Registration
To help with our planning, all groups and individuals need to register in advance
to let us know youre coming. Please fill in the form at the back of this booklet and
return to St Albans Cathedral, Sumpter Yard, St Albans, AL1 1BY, or by email to
pilgrimage@stalbanscathedral.org.
You can also download the form separately and all other information in this booklet from
our website: www.stalbanscathedral.org.
Registration closes on Wednesday 17th June 2015 so please make sure you return your
form by this date.

Children and Young People

Younger pilgrims are welcome to any part of the day. Children can either sign up to join in
the activities or alternatively, they are welcome to remain with their parish groups. We
would strongly advise that children under 5 remain with their parents and parish groups.
Alban procession: Children are signed in at 10.00am at St Peters Church, St Albans. They
will be given something to wear or to use in the Procession. Please note that costumes
used in the procession are not suitable for children under 6 years old.
Childrens Worship: This takes place immediately after the procession (from 12noon) in a
marquee in the Deanery Garden. The worship is for children aged 5 years and upwards.
Children will be brought up to the Cathedral towards the end of the Eucharist for
communion or a blessing. Children should be collected from the North Church Yard at
the end of the Eucharist.
Please note that it is necessary to register all children in advance. A packed lunch and an
Alban T shirt is provided, and contributions from visiting participants will be gratefully
received, but are entirely voluntary.
For further information, please download the Childrens form from the website (available
from May 2015) or contact the Cathedral Office on 01727 890245.
Completed forms should be returned to us by e-mail to pilgrimage@stalbanscathedral.org
or post to the Cathedral Office, Sumpter Yard, St Albans, AL1 1BY by 14th June 2015

Clergy
All Anglican Priests are invited to robe for the procession (alb and red stole) and to
concelebrate the Eucharist. If you are not used to concelebration, please be assured that it
is very straightforward and instructions are given. Clergy who do not wish to concelebrate
are still welcome to robe and join the clergy procession.
Ministers of other Christian denominations are also very welcome to robe and take part
in the procession, and are asked to wear their customary dress.
Clergy intending to robe for the procession should vest in St Peters Church to be ready
for a briefing at 10.40am, in order for the procession to start promptly at 11.00am. Please
fill in the registration form if you intend to robe and concelebrate.
Please Note: Clergy should not leave any belongings behind as there will be no access to
St Peters, once the procession has begun.

Disabled Facilities
Entrance to the Cathedral for pilgrims needing disabled access is via the West End or the
Slype entrance by the Chapter House. Please note that the Cathedral will be closed
before the Festival Eucharist until the Procession has arrived at the West End. Until then,
access is only available to the disabled toilet in the South Ambulatory. The Abbots
Kitchen, Gift Shop and Chapter House facilities will remain open during the morning (from
10.00am).
It is helpful to let the Cathedral Office know in advance if any pilgrims have special access
or seating requirements so that we can make appropriate provision for them and any
companion who is assisting them on the day. Any pilgrim who needs any additional help is
asked to bring a carer with them.
The Red Cross are on duty during the day. Please alert one of our stewards immediately if
you or a member of your group requires attention.

Food and Drink

The Abbots Kitchen is situated in the Chapter House and will be open on the day from
10.00am-4.30pm. The menu is full of regional and seasonal delights to suit all tastes and
includes breakfasts, lunches, light bites, cakes and pastries, afternoon teas and a range of
hot & cold drinks.
Pilgrims are welcome to bring a picnic to eat on the Abbey Orchard. There will also be
some outside catering on the Abbey Orchard, near the West End area of the Cathedral.

Gift Shop and Bookstall

Situated in the Chapter House and South Transept, the Gift Shop and Bookstall is open
from 10.00am-5.00pm. On sale is a selection of pilgrimage merchandise, as well as an
attractive range of religious items, a range of religious and secular books, ornaments,
jewellery, souvenirs and greetings cards. Recent CD recordings by the Cathedral Choir,
Abbey Girls Choir and our Cathedral Organists are also available to purchase.
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Map of the procession route

Procession begins: St Peters Church, St Albans, AL1 3HG

Situated at the other end of the city centre. The processional route is approx. mile.
Procession ends: West End of St Albans Cathedral, the re-enactment of
Albans beheading will take place outside the West End entrance, followed by
the procession into the Cathedral for the Festival Eucharist.
Banners Parishes are encouraged to bring their parish banners for the Pilgrimage
Procession. Let us know if you are bringing one.
Roses It is traditional for pilgrims to wear a red rose, these are left at Saint Albans
Shrine at the end of the pilgrimage as a sign of devotion, and as a request for his continued
prayer as you journey home. Roses are available at the Cathedral during the day for
purchase by donation.
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Greening your Pilgrimage

St Albans Cathedral and City are founder members
of the international Green Pilgrimage Network.
We hope you will consider your method of transport
before your visit.

Travelling by Bus
St Albans is well connected on the local bus network with services from North London,
Watford, Hemel Hempstead, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, Harpenden, Luton and
Watford. The Green Line 724 service links St Albans with Heathrow airport and West
London, Harlow and Essex.
There are a variety of bus connections into St Peters street and the surrounding roads
from both of the citys railway stations.

Travelling by Rail
St Albans City Station is situated about 20 minutes from London St Pancras International
on the First Capital Connect service through central London from the South Coast and
Gatwick to Luton and Bedford.
St Albans is also connected to Watford via the St Albans Abbey Line. Trains from
Watford Junction serve the North London Line and the West Coast mainline.
The Cathedral is a 20 minute walk away from St Albans City station and about a 10
minute walk away from St Albans Abbey station.

Travelling by Coach
Coaches and Minibuses should apply for a parking permit for Westminster Lodge, by
making sure you complete a registration form and a permit will be e-mailed to you, with
instructions on where the driver should park up.
For the beginning of the procession, coaches may drop off in the designated bus stops on
St Peters Street until 10.30am, for a short period (5 mins maximum). As soon as coaches
have unloaded, they must depart and park at Westminster Lodge.

Travelling by car
Close to the M1 (Junctions 6 10), A1(M) (Junctions 3 & 4), and M25 (Junctions 21a &
22), St Albans is easily accessible from all parts of the UK.

Where to park in St Albans

St Peters Church

St Albans Cathedral
St Albans City Station

St Albans Abbey Station

There are a large number of city centre car parks available. Further information and the
map shown above can be found by visiting:
www.stalbanscathedral.org/visit/planning-your-visit
www.stalbans.gov.uk/transport-and-streets/parking
There is strictly no parking at St Peters church or at the Cathedral, except disabled
parking booked in advance. Space is limited, but please apply to the Cathedral Office if you
require a permit.
Those who wish to take part in the procession will need to leave 30 minutes to go
through St Peters Street to get to the start of the procession at St Peters Church. Please
note, the roads through the city centre will be closed immediately before the procession
to all traffic.
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www.facebook.com/StAlbansCathedralOfficial

@StAlbansAbbey

The Alban Prayer

Among the roses of the martyrs brightly shines Saint Alban.
Almighty God,
We thank you for this place built to your glory
and in memory of Alban, our first martyr.
Following his example in the fellowship of the saints,
may we worship and adore the true and living God,
and be faithful witnesses to the Christ,
who is alive and reigns, now and for ever.
Pray for us Alban, pray for us all Saints of God.
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

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will be on Saturday 18 June 2016

We look forward to seeing you

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