The Reverend Tom Mumford, Curate of the civic church for Sudbury, St Gregory’s, will be making a pilgrimage, on 22nd August, from his church to St. Edmundsbury Cathedral, and the abbey ruins where St Edmund’s shrine once lay.
Tom will begin and end his 18-20 miles journey in prayer at these ancient holy sites. He will walk largely on the St Edmund’s way pilgrim path, which has seen thousands of pilgrims throughout the centuries.
Tom hopes to offer the prayers of Sudbury, both on the way and at his destination, which has been a site of pilgrimage for a thousand years. People can submit their prayers privately via the prayer request form on the church website: www.stgregorychurchsudbury.co.uk
As part of Tom’s pilgrimage, he is raising money for local mental health, by supporting the Kernos Centre charity Tom says…
“The COVID19 pandemic has heightened anxiety in our nation like nothing I have seen in my life time. Isolation has intensified loneliness, and lockdown has caused both mental and financial depression. Our lives have been changed entirely, almost overnight. We have all had our dark days and weeks, how could we not?”
“Though many of us choose not to talk about it, I know from my own experience, and from speaking to parishioners during lockdown that things have been really up and down. Some weeks have been good, enjoying the sun and the lack of evening meetings. But some weeks have been tough, feeling as if there’s no end in sight, missing out on big occasions – the black dog has been well and truly present.”
“Recognising the increasing need for mental health support at this time, all money I raise will be donated to the Kernos centre, to support local people in their time of need.”
Peter Brown, finance director at the Kernos Centre, said: “How grateful we are for Reverend Mumford’s fundraising efforts.“In difficult times like these, it is wonderful to be the beneficiary of such an endeavour which will help to sustain our counselling services for those around Sudbury who cannot afford to seek help at times of great stress.”
To donate, please go to Tom’s ‘Go Fund Me’ page.
