Following the blessings and deep sense of community experienced during last year’s Ecumenical and Interreligious Pilgrimage, this summer welcomed another opportunity for people of different Christian traditions to walk together in faith and fellowship.
This year’s pilgrimage took place on Thursday, 3 July 2025, hosted by the Catholic Archdiocese of Cardiff-Menevia, the Church in Wales Diocese of Llandaff, and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.
The day began at 1.30pm at St Padarn’s Institute, where participants enjoyed a reflection on pilgrimage and baptism with input from Archbishop Mark and Bishop Mary. The opening service featured readings and prayers focused on baptism, with a question and answer exchange between the bishops discussing baptism and the influence of Pope Francis.
At 2.15pm, the pilgrimage set off through Bute Park. Participants walked in groups of four, allowing time for conversation and contemplation. The route took pilgrims past Llandaff Cathedral, with a stop at the well of Saint Teilo for prayers, before continuing through Blackweir Fields and Bute Park.
One memorable moment came as the group passed through Bute Park, where security personnel had to remove railings to allow passage through an area cordoned off for a concert. The sound of a loud bass guitar warming up provided an unexpected soundtrack – rock band Slayer was preparing for their evening performance.
This encounter would later inspire Archbishop Mark’s closing reflections, as he placed the pilgrimage symbolically “between Slayer and Oasis.”
The pilgrimage reached St David’s Cathedral around 4pm for a service of prayer and reaffirmation of baptism. Archbishop Mark’s homily drew a connection between the day’s musical encounter and the spiritual journey of faith.
Speaking of being “between Slayer and Oasis,” he invited the congregation to consider how we must first turn away from the image of the Slayer—representing the evil one—before we can look towards the oasis that is Christian faith, “the watering pool, place of refreshment that gives us love.”
The Archbishop offered a meditation on the Trinity, sharing an image that had helped him as a young priest—God the Father holding the crucified Jesus in his lap and weeping over him, with the dove of the Holy Spirit hovering above. This presents God not as a mathematical formula but as a communion of sacrificial love.
The service emphasised that through baptism, we enter into the very life of God. As Archbishop Mark reminded the congregation, “you walk away with the Trinity within you,” meaning each person is part of God’s family.
He extended this vision beyond Christian faith, acknowledging that all present – whether Christian, of other faiths, or of no faith – are made in the image and likeness of God.
Following the service, light refreshments were served at Cornerstone, with everything wrapping up by 5pm. The event proved to be a wonderful opportunity for those of different faith traditions to journey together, bearing witness to God and His love.
This year’s pilgrimage demonstrated the power of walking together in faith, offering participants a chance to experience unity that transcends denominational boundaries while celebrating the rich diversity of Christian tradition in Wales.
Photo credit: Kieran O’Brien
