A 10th anniversary with a difference took place on 18th October when more than 300 people from our region joined in a pilgrimage against poverty. This was the 10th birthday of the Church Action on Poverty Iona to Westminster walk of 1998 and was celebrated with walks in different towns across the country.
The walk started with a commissioning by our Synod Moderator Rowena Francis and the Archdeacon of Northumberland, Geoff Miller, at St John’s in Newcastle. Various civic dignitaries and MPs joined for different parts of the pilgrimage.
The pilgrims paused on the route to hear past stories. These included that of the Felling Pit disaster which led to the Priest of St Mary’s Heworth campaigning for safer working conditions for miners with the subsequent development of a safety lamp. Also told was the story of Thomas Hepburn, who founded the National Union of Miners that is still celebrated today. His grave was festooned with wreaths from the annual celebration service of the day before.
St Bede’s, Jarrow hosted the closing service after the pilgrims had travelled 7 miles. Here there was a rich feast of ecumenical worship including liturgical dance, Salvation Army songsters, folk protest songs and prayers for communities that CAP are working with across the North East. Also a fine spread of food.
Participants were challenged to vote for those policies that would ‘Close the gap’ between the rich and poor in our own country, from bankers bonus payments, to making high interest rates charged by loan sharks illegal, to higher taxes for the richest 10%. Next year is half way to 2020 when the government millennium goals would hope to have achieved the eradication of poverty. There is a long way to go but hopefully actions like the Pilgrimage will enable the people's voice to be heard and so add to the campaign to make poverty history.