By Press Release
Every year around the beginning of September, Christians travel through the woods at Binstead in their walk from Ryde to Quarr Abbey.
The origins of the walk go back to Victorian times, when Catholics would walk on Sunday afternoons in summertime to the Medieval Cistercian ruins to pray for the return of monastic life to Quarr. In 1907 this actually happened, when the Benedictine monks moved from Appuldurcombe to Quarr. This short annual pilgrimage of just three miles emphasises an affiliation with the Victorian Christians who walked the same route.
The walkers (or pilgrims) were accompanied again, last Friday, by Fr. Jonathan Redvers Harris, who has been a keen participant and supporter of this annual walk. The group stopped en route at the Medieval Church of Holy Cross at Binstead, where Hilary Spurgeon gave a talk on the church and its historical association with Quarr.
After studying the plan of the Medieval Cistercian ruins, the group arrived at the present Benedictine abbey, where they were welcomed by Abbot Xavier. Being the first Friday in September, he spoke to the walkers about the French Visitation nun, St. Margaret Mary, who promoted the devotion of the nine first Fridays of the month.
The day concluded with Friday evening Vespers and Benediction.
Header image: Some of the pilgrims with Abbot Xavier