Pilgrimage Traces the Steps of Great Britain Through its Martyrs - July 28-30

Source: FSSPX News

Every year, the English District of the Priestly Society of St. Pius X organizes a pilgrimage from the city of Rochester to the city of Canterbury.



It is an opportunity for the pilgrims to venerate two great figures of English Catholicism: the martyrs St. John Fisher and St. Thomas Becket.

The former, John Fisher (1469-1535), was the courageous bishop of Rochester, the second oldest bishopric in England after Canterbury, founded in the beginning of the 7th century by St. Augustine to convert the pagans to Christianity. He was beheaded for publicly denouncing Henry VIII's (of the House of Tudor) divorce from Catherine of Aragon, and his second invalid union with Anne Boleyn.

The latter, Thomas Becket (1118-1170), was archbishop of Canterbury, the first episcopal see in England, founded by St. Augustine after the conversion of King Æthelbert. St. Thomas was martyred at the foot of his cathedral altar on December 29, 1170, for defending the freedom of the Church against Henry II Plantagenet’s ambitions and for successfully protesting against the marriage of the king’s brother William with the Countess of Surrey for reasons of consanguinity.

In 2017, when the sanctity of marriage is being attacked more than ever, even in the Church, this pilgrimage that will take place from July 28 to 30 is more important than ever.

The general intentions for which the faithful of the District of England will be praying during this pilgrimage – that also coincides with the centenary of Fatima – are as follows:

  • To establish the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary;
  • To pray for the triumph of the Immaculate Heart;
  • To pray that the pope and all the bishops of the Catholic world to consecrate Russia to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary;
  • To pray for the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary for the Society of St. Pius X and all its members in addition to all the religious communities of Tradition;
  • For vocations to the priestly and religious life and the conversion of Great Britain.

Canterbury Pilgrimage Details