With the blessing of His Grace, Bishop Matthew of Sourozh, our Parish pilgrimage took place on 18th September 2023 in the city of Winchester, the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Wessex. We celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the majestic 12th century church of the Holy Cross, by kind permission of the Master of the associated Hospital of St Cross.
It was followed by a picnic lunch on the banks of the nearby River Itchen, and the walk to the historic cathedral in the heart of the city. There we celebrated a moleben at the shrine of St Swithun, a bishop of Winchester in the 9th century who was subsequently glorified by God by numerous miracles. His shrine in the cathedral was a popular pilgrimage destination until its destruction in the reign of Henry VIII.
The contemporary symbolic shrine remains a focus of prayer and has recently been adorned with a number of icons depicting the Lord, the Mother of God, St Swithun and other local saints, including St Birinus, Apostle to the West Saxons.
More photos of the event are in our Photogallery.