A priest from St Peter’s Church in Berkhamsted is following in the footsteps of St Columba, the patron saint of Derry.
Father Stuart Owen, rector and rural dean of the church, has travelled to the north of Ireland, before he heads to Iona in Scotland. On his journey, he is hoping to discover more about St Columbus’ exile, penitence and pilgrimage.
The priest is beginning his journey alongside Rabbi Neil Janes from South Bucks Jewish Community, and has been documenting his excursion in a blog.
In a post on Wednesday, January 29, Fr Stuart said he was hoping to reconnect with his own past.
He said: “What I’ve found most thought-provoking about all this is the idea that sometimes the stories we tell of our histories are more about the needs of the present moment, than about the verifiable truths of the past.
“I wrote in an earlier post that part of my sense of ‘exile’ is born of a sense that I have lost hold of my own ‘history’.”
Fr Stuart is set to return to St Peter’s Church on Monday, March 24. To follow his journey, please visit www.pilgrimscairn.blogspot.com
Photo credit: St Peter’s Church, Berkhamsted on Facebook
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