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The Alban Pilgrimage
23 June 2018 @ 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Saturday 23rd June, from 11am
The Alban Pilgrimage takes place annually and is held in honour of the city’s namesake, St Alban, who died on 22nd June over 1700 years ago. He was executed for giving shelter to a Christian priest later named Amphibalus who was fleeing persecution by the Romans. Moved by the priest’s faith, Alban became a Christian and the two men swapped cloaks, enabling the priest to escape. Alban was arrested instead, brought to trial and executed on the hill where St Albans Cathedral now stands.
Stunning 12-ft tall carnival puppets and a procession of around 300 children, teenagers and adults from the local community dramatize the tale of Alban’s martyrdom, with the final scene taking place at the West End of St Albans Cathedral, the oldest site of continuous Christian worship in Britain.
Festival Eucharist takes place immediately after the procession.
Guest preacher: The Very Reverend Andrew Nunn, Dean of Southwark
Festival Evensong takes place at 4pm.
Guest Preacher: Stuart Burns OSB of Mucknell Abbey.
Photographs of last year’s Pilgrimage can be found on the Facebook page.
Join the crowds in St Albans as the city comes together to celebrate Britain’s first saint, Alban.
Enjoy a wonderful spectacle as giant carnival puppets tell the story of the remarkable man who gave the city its name.
Roman chariots, centurions, lions and roses all take their place in the dramatic procession from St Peter’s Church, through the historic streets to St Albans.
For more information about our pilgrimage, download the Information for Pilgrims booklet.
To help with planning the day, all groups and individuals need to register in advance. Please fill in the Registration Form and return to – Cathedral Office, The Deanery, St Albans Cathedral, Sumpter Yard, St Albans, AL1 1BY, or by email to pilgrimage@stalbanscathedral.org.
Registration closes on Wednesday 20th June 2018, please return completed forms to the Deanery by this date.