Medieval Pilgrimage Way - Llandaff to Penrhys

The walk begins at the West Door of Llandaff Cathedral.
Pilgrims would travel from the cathedral all the way to Penrhys
(Image: Mark Lewis) source: WalesOnline

In a recent article, The hidden spot in the heart of Cardiff that marks the start of a medieval pilgrimage route,  Wales Online published details of how to retrace the steps pilgrims made hundreds of years ago along the Penrhys Pilgrimage Way. 

The walk begins at the West Door of Llandaff Cathedral, the Cathedral Church of Jolly June Osborne, bishop of Llandaff who, instead of taking this meaningful walk through the Welsh countryside in the footsteps of former pilgrims, chartered an aircraft to fly her clergy to Spain to kick off the Llandaff 2020 Year of Pilgrimage at great expense to the diocese and an unnecessary cost to the environment. 

After a false start, priests from more than 100 churches in Llandaff travelled to Santiago de Compostela in Northern Spain for their Clergy School taking the form of a pilgrimage from Monday, 13 May to Friday, 17th May, 2019.

The bishop of Llandaff's idea was to embark on an 'ambitious' Year of Pilgrimage to 'reinvigorate its work and worship' as part of the Church’s 2020 centenary celebrations under the hashtag #LlandaffInSantiago.

In a presentation to the Governing Body of the Church in Wales in April 2019 reported in Highlights April 2021,  Jolly June said:
 "In preparing for the year [of Pilgrimage], the diocesan clergy had gone on a pilgrimage together to Santiago de Compostela. Some said it was lavish but I wanted us to be together in a place where prayer had long been valued. The sense we gained there of being companions on a road together has been with us since then. 2020 was still a Year of Pilgrimage and we found ourselves on an untrodden road. God was teaching us how to tell his story and build for good."

The Year of Pilgrimage fizzled out in the Coronavirus lock down but that left the diocese with greater opportunities to reinvigorate its work and worship. Coming up to 3 years after their expensive 'pilgrimage' to Santiago de Compostela little has changed.

Still embroiled in a long term battle with her Dean on charges of bullying, he remains doggedly in place while disillusioned clergy leave for pastures new leaving the diocese of Llandaff - where faith matters(!) - to pursue its now well trodden path, telling a 'joyful story' of Queer Theology.

Rounding off Compostela

Llandaff clergy dancing the pilgrim dance after the final Eucharist of their clergy school in Santiago de Compostela                      Source: Twitter @Gould2Jan

Jolly June rounded off the Llandaff clergy school in Santiago de Compostela with the tweet: "Michael Sadgrove teaches about pilgrimage and the brilliant story of the Emmaus Road -seeing with hope. Are we dealers in hope?"

Hope for what?

Chief cheerleader among pilgrim commentators was Pilgrimprogress who looked forward to spending even more money on clergy schools making them annual events.

In a comment on Llandaff clergy school off to a flying start Pilgrimprogress wrote: "Happy to support them and hope they make it an annual event. I note that Michael Sadgrove is leading them in teaching - he's an amazing speaker and they are sure to receive some great input. I recommend his writings.

Later the Cardiff University Anglican Chaplain added a similar tweet: "It has been an absolute delight to have @MichaelSadgrove with us at our clergy school delivering three very thoughtful morning addresses. Like a good meal, you might not remember all that you have been fed, but you certainly know that you have been well fed!"

Amazing speaker he may be but what he has been feeding in some of his writings, particularly on his blog Woolgathering in North East of England, is a million miles from the doctrine of the Holy Catholic Church.

In a gushing endorsement of women's ordination The Ordination of Women as Priests - 25 Years On he wrote: "But I knew on that day that this was a ceremony that would not just live on bathed in a kind of generalised afterglow. I knew that it would be unforgettable in its detail as well. Such as singing 'Be still for the Spirit of the Lord is moving in this place' and, for once, truly recognising that she was."

If 'she' were the only reference to the spirit of the age one might put it down academic argument but it happens to be part of "his friend" June Osborne's revisionist theology, an inclusive church leading to same sex marriage in church

The Campaign for Equal Marriage in the CofE   Source: Twitter

On his Twitter account Sadgrove pledges his support for the Campaign for Equal Marriage in the CofE and for the Rev Andrew Foreshew-Cain who launched a campaign for the rights of LGBTQ Christians claiming that his same-sex marriage cost him his ministry.

In a previous comment on Llandaff clergy school off to a flying start Berty wrote of the absurdity of a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela: "Also odd that clergy of a reformed protestant church who sign up to the 39 Articles should go on pilgrimage to a major ‘Romanish’ shrine which is only open during its rebuilding work for pilgrims to venerate the relics of St James? Is that not contrary to Article XXII?

In another blog entry A Day of Wisdom Sadgrove wrote: "I've just got back from leading a study day for clergy and readers in Llandaff Diocese where my friend June Osborne is bishop. They had asked me to reflect with them on wisdom literature in the Hebrew Bible with the tasks of leadership, ministry and preaching in the church today especially in mind."

The whole episode is so incongruous and a colossal waste of money when the study days could have been held in Llandaff as Sadgrove did last year when speaking about leadership.

To cap it all Michael Sadgrove tweeted: "At the conference dinner last night, @BishopJuno is given a standing ovation by her clergy. So well deserved. But remarkable all the same."

Remarkable indeed but as Pilgrimage Fatigue quipped in Caption corner: "What you need to do is engineer a standing ovation at the end of the conference dinner. That'll have them all eating out of my hand."

You can read what Michael Sadgrove thought of the jolly in his glowing blog entry A Pilgrimage to Santiago.

Thought for the day

Bishop June  prepares for a stroll in Santiago de Compostela  Source: Twitter      Bishop Joanna prepares for Christian Aid Week at GB   Source: Church in  Wales 

Wales’ bishops have joined in the call to support mums in Sierra Leone this Christian Aid Week (12-18th May 2019) and to draw attention to the stark reality that women in Sierra Leone are 150 times more likely to die in childbirth than those in the UK.

This year’s Christian Aid Week campaign draws attention to the high maternal death rate in Sierra Leone – the most dangerous place to become a mum. 10 women die giving birth every day and one in nine babies do not reach their fifth birthday. An estimated 15,000 mothers have died during childbirth since the Ebola crisis in 2014.

£300 could provide a delivery bed for a new health centre giving mums a safe place to deliver their babies. A sum of £60 raised could buy a starter kit for community health workers, which includes a bicycle, torch, rain coat and rain boots. Just £15 could buy a stethoscope or a bucket of paint for a community health clinic.

Bishop Joanna Penberthy (pictured right) said, “This is a such an important appeal. In the UK we take good antenatal care and medical support in childbirth for granted. As someone who almost died giving birth, I know first-hand how important it is to have all the right help and care in place. In supporting Christian Aid’s work, we can make a difference. Please give today.” (Press release here)

The Bishop of Llandaff is taking time out with all her clergy during Christian Aid week for a compulsory clergy school in Santiago de Compostela.

How many lives may have been saved in Sierra Leone this Christian Aid Week if the Llandaff clergy school had been held in Llandaff and the savings donated to the Appeal?

James 2:14-17

Countdown to Compostela

Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela                                                                                                                                                                    Source: aleteia.org

Reminder to all clergy and laity of the Diocese of Llandaff

Priests from more than 100 churches in Llandaff will be travelling to Santiago de Compostela in Northern Spain for their Clergy School which takes place from Monday, 13 May to Friday, 17th May, 2019. It will take the form of a pilgrimage

Much of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is closed due to renovation work as will be parishes in the diocese of Llandaff.

Clergy may wish to take a few extra Euros to purchase a guide book as a memento of what they have missed. Alternatively a free virtual tour of the pilgrimage Cathedral is available here, courtesy of turismo.gal.

The clergy school will provide a welcome break for exhausted clergy who have been unable to take time off after Easter.

Accommodation at Hospederia de San Martin de Pinario and charter flights are provided at diocesan expense but clergy are responsible for their own domestic arrangements.

During Lent the faithful should have been making Pipe-Cleaner Persons from 12 inch pipe cleaners as temporary cover for clergy pilgrims.

Some other points to consider:

Arrange for an idle parishioner to care for the vicarage cat(s).

Cancel the milk and any newspapers.

Check medication supplies; sick notes are to be avoided.

Currency for G&Ts and other clergy essentials.

Funerals should be deferred.

Priestly care for the poor, the sick, the needy and those in trouble must wait.

Costa Compostela

As the above letter indicates, there are 'a few' surplus seats left on the plane the Church in Wales' DBF has chartered to fly the bishop of Llandaff and her clergy team on a 'pilgrimage' to the Roman Catholic shrine of Santiago de Compostela. No doubt most of the walking involved will be to the bar and back.

Anyone wishing to avail themselves of this magnanimous offer should note their pariah status. This is not an invitation to join the clergy school. In fact those wishing to benefit from the 'mini pilgrimage' are cautioned against booking accommodation at Hospederia de San Martin de Pinario.

One can see the sense of this from jolly June's perspective. She will not welcome outsiders injecting a sense of reason into the proceedings, neither will she want any witnesses to the après school activities, particularly from retired clergy who may have a somewhat jaundiced view from her perspective of the direction the modern Church in Wales is taking.

What does this caper cost? If 45 surplus seats @ £350 per seat are taken up, that nets £15,750 to offset the cost which has not been revealed but a guesstimate of the total cost is possible.

The Hospederia has 81 rooms. Taking two to a room that equals a maximum of 162 places plus around 45 surplus plane places

Llandaff diocese lists over 200 clergy, some of whom are retired. Wikipedia shows 105 paid clergy. With non-stipendiary clergy  let us assume a 200 seat plane at £350 per seat. That amounts to £70,000 just for the flight. Adding estimates for food and accommodation the total cost is likely to be in excess of £100,000.

From the Llandaff site: "This regular clergy school, in May 2019, will be used to train and equip priests to teach and lead pilgrimage in their own communities."

But there are already regular parish pilgrimages in the diocese, particularly to Walsingham. A youth pilgrimage from Llandaff to Walsingham in 2017 cost a mere £140 in comparison.

A project is underway to revive the historic Llandaff to Penrhys pilgrimage route running from Cardiff to the the top of the Rhondda without an expensive jolly to encourage it.

There is a cruel irony in jolly June's jolly to Santiago de Compostela. From James 1:27, "Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this: ... to keep oneself unstained by the world", something the bench of bishops signally fails to do, thus lurching the Church into one crisis after another. Better the six bishops went and stayed there.