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The
Pilgrimage Continues ...
In
the Footsteps of the English Saints
with Spiritual Leader Father Frank Wagner CSC
All
are welcome!
September
30 – October 10, 2008

Dear
Pilgrims, Parishioners and Friends
I
have been the spiritual guide for seven pilgrimages organized by
Brinkman Travel. I am delighted to be able to accompany you on this
pilgrimage to England, named in the Middle Ages "Mary's Dowry."
This title was appropriately given to England because of its deep catholic reverence for the person of Mary and its rich history of many
saints. English
cathedrals, the Lady
chapels and the aura of the sacred in the great catholic tradition still
flourishes. Pilgrimages are wonderful experiences of "thin places", where the presence of the Divine seems to
break through and touch us, very often in unexpected ways.
It is my hope that as we begin our pilgrimage in Coventry
Cathedral, a sacred place of the ministry of reconciliation, and as
we put our pilgrimage under the prayerful guidance of Our Lady of Walsingham,
this immersion into the "thin places" in England will be one more
bond of peace. May it be a journey of personal reconciliation for the
pilgrims, as well as one more fruitful act of prayer for reconciliation
of the Christians who throughout the world have been nourished from the
roots of the Faith in England. I hope to celebrate the Roman Catholic
Mass each day and Evensong in the Anglican tradition to pray for
Christian unity.
Fr. Frank Wagner CSC, St. Ann's Parish, Toronto
Day
1, Tuesday September 30, 2008
Toronto – Birmingham
Gather at the Toronto airport early evening and meet Spiritual Leader
Fr. Frank Wagner CSC and other pilgrims for the journey to England.
If time allows, we will have a prayer service in the airport
terminal's chapel before take off. Air Transat's flight is scheduled
to depart at 11:20 pm.
Day
2, Wednesday October 1 Birmingham
– Coventry – Peterborough
Upon arrival, a coach and driver will be waiting to take us for a visit
to Coventry Cathedral. The medieval cathedral was reduced to rubble by
bombs in World War II and replaced by a new cathedral containing
the special memorial The Cross of
Nails to international reconciliation after the tragedy of war. Then
we will be on our way to Peterborough where we enjoy a welcome dinner and overnight in
the Ramada's Butterfly Hotel, our home for two
nights.
Day
3, Thursday October 2
Walsingham – Ely
–
Peterborough
Today we visit the pilgrimage
town of Walsingham, England's
Nazareth, where we have a guided tour. Beginning in the 12th century this was the
great pilgrimage centre dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, demolished
by Henry the VIII in 1538, but restored as a pilgrims'
centre in the 1920s. In the afternoon we will visit Ely Cathedral built
in 1081 after the Norman Conquest on the site of a monastery started by
St. Ethelreda in 673. Afterwards, return to Peterborough for dinner and
overnight.
Day
4, Friday October 3
Stratford-upon-Avon – Worcester
Today we drive first to Shakespeare's birthplace in
Stratford-upon-Avon. It has kept its character intact, in spite of the
many tourists that visit each year. The buildings, mainly Elizabethan
and Jacobean, with some Georgian additions are worth a close look. Take
pictures of Anne Hathaway's cottage – a lovely thatched roof house,
a pleasant walk away from the center of town. We will then move on and
visit Worcester Cathedral, where on the site of the present cathedral,
construction was begun on the original Saxon cathedral in 961 with St.
Oswald as its first bishop. Dinner and overnight in Bank's House Hotel
in Worcester.
Day
5. Saturday October 4
Worcester – Salisbury
The day begins with a visit to Glastonbury Abbey, legendary burial place
of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere. Also, legendary is the visit here by
the boy Jesus and his great-uncle Joseph of Arimathea who later returned
with the Holy Grail. The Lady Chapel, Our
Lady St. Mary of Glastonbury, remains a witness to these legends of
Celtic Christianity in England. In the afternoon we visit the
magnificent Salisbury Cathedral, which boasts the tallest church spire
in Britain and has been immortalized by the paintings of John Constable.
In its Chapter House is displayed one of the four surviving copies of
the Magna Carta (1215). We will have dinner and overnight in the Red
Lion Hotel in Salisbury.
Day
6, Sunday October 5
Salisbury – Day at Leisure
This morning we hope to go to the Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in
Salisbury to attend Sunday Mass. The remainder of the day is free to
rest and reflect. At 7:00 pm we will meet for dinner
in the Red Lion Hotel.
Day
7, Monday October 6
Old Sarum – Stonehenge – Winchester –
Canterbury
After a leisurely Sunday we depart Salisbury on time to one of the oldest
British settlements Old Sarum
–
modern
day Salisbury. We continue to drive through the astounding Salisbury
plain to visit the ancient and mysterious monoliths at Stonehenge, once
a holy place, always a holy place? Have some lunch and after a short
drive we visit the beautiful Cathedral
town of Winchester. It was the capital of England during the reign of
King Alfred the Great. It is one of England's most unspoiled and
graceful cities. The foundations of the present Winchester Cathedral
were laid out in 1059. It once had the relics of its 17th
bishop. Tonight we lay our heads down in Canterbury after we have
enjoyed dinner in the Abbots Barton Hotel..
Day
8, Tuesday October 7
Canterbury – Dover
The ancient city of Canterbury is dominated by the splendid Canterbury
Cathedral, the spiritual center of the worldwide Anglican community and the
place where St. Thomas Becket was murdered because of the suggestion
of Henry II. It was the destination of medieval pilgrims immortalized by
Geoffrey Chaucer's epic poem The
Canterbury Tales. The city retains many of its medieval features and
has much charm. If time permits, we may travel an hour to the famous
white cliffs of Dover that have inspired poets and songwriters over the
years. Return to Canterbury for dinner and overnight.
Day
9, Wednesday October 8
Rochester – London
On the way to London we stop in Rochester to visit the second oldest
cathedral in England. It was in this cathedral, which dates back to 604,
where St. Augustine consecrated the first bishop. The
relics of the first Saxon bishop, St. Ithamar, and St. William of Perth,
the murdered Scottish pilgrim, attracted many pilgrims. St. John Fisher,
while bishop of Rochester, was arrested and martyred by Henry VIII
in 1535. Upon arrival in London city, we will be treated to an orientation tour
of Great Britain's capital. Dinner and overnight in the Bloomsbury HI
Hotel London.
Day
10, Thursday October 9
London
A full day of guided sightseeing that includes watching the Changing of the
Guard at Buckingham Palace, the Queen's London residence; Big Ben;
Tower Bridge; St. Paul's Cathedral; Westminster Abbey (where in 1381
England was presented to Our Lady as her Dowry); the Tower of London (where St. Thomas More was imprisoned and martyred) and the Roman
Catholic Westminster Cathedral. Dinner and overnight in London.
Day
11, Friday, October 10
London – Toronto
Also this trip must come to an end. After breakfast we leave for to
London/Gatwick airport to catch the scheduled 11:45 am flight to Toronto
with an expected 2:55 pm arrival.
Price including air from Toronto
(other gateways upon request)
-
$
3,335 per
person based on double occupancy
-
Single supplement $ 800 (limited availability)
-
Airport taxes and
fees are additional (as of January 29, 2008 $ 301.95)
-
Pay by cash or
cheque and save $ 65
Price includes
-
The
services of your Spiritual Leader Father Frank Wagner, CSC
-
Air
Transat flights into Birmingham out of London/Gatwick
-
Porterage
of one suitcase per person in and out of hotels
-
Nine
nights first class hotel accommodation, including service charges
and taxes
-
Daily
breakfast and dinner in hotels
-
All
transportation and sightseeing in a fine coach
-
Admission/donation
to Coventry, Ely, Worcester, Salisbury, Winchester, Canterbury,
Rochester, St. Paul's and Westminster Cathedrals and Glastonbury and
Westminster Abbeys
-
Cathedral/abbey
guide in Ely, Worcester, Glastonbury, Salisbury, Winchester,
Canterbury and Rochester
-
Guide
in Walsingham
-
Guides
for panoramic tour of London and for the full day of sightseeing in
London
-
Entrance
fees to Shakespeare's birthplace, Old Sarum and Stonehenge
In
addition you will receive pre
tour seminars including a film night and a complete information package
during our mid summer social night (place and time to be determined)
Not Included
Travel
Extension for extended stay in England or elsewhere in Europe
No
problem; please request at time of booking your Journey in Faith.
Important
to Know
Reservations
and payments
Please
complete the Registration
Form and submit with your $500 per person
deposit and insurance premium to Brinkman Travel. Final payment is due by
Friday August 1, 2008.
Price
Guarantee Brinkman
Travel reserves the right to adjust prices if there is a change in
currency exchange rates, fuel surcharges or taxes. The quoted tour price
is not subject to GST.
Cancellation
Fees Cancellations are
subject to the following maximum cancellation charges:
If
you need to cancel, you must notify Brinkman Travel in writing. Brinkman
Travel Inc will refund all money paid towards the tour less the applicable
cancellation fee. These charges do not include cancellation charges for
any extra arrangements.
Insurance
Brinkman Travel highly recommends you purchase its deluxe RBC Voyageur
package insurance protecting you against cancellation charges based on canceling
or interrupting your tour for medical reasons only occurring to
yourself or someone in the immediate family preventing you from traveling
and when accompanied by the doctor's official written declaration, as
well as providing you with unlimited medical insurance, air accident,
baggage etc. Premium is pending upon age, duration and cost of tour.
Insurance premium is due at the time of booking and is non refundable.
Shared
and Single Accommodation
Passengers must indicate at the time of booking whether they want to share
a room of if they prefer a single room; there are a limited number of
single rooms/cabins available. Your roommate, if known, should also be
indicated. Triple rooms/cabins, while not recommended, can usually be
arranged. Should
it not be possible to find a compatible room mate, then the single person
must be prepared to pay the single supplement no later than one month
prior to departure.
Physical
Disabilities Any
physical disability requiring special attention or treatment must be
reported when reservations are made. Brinkman Travel and/or their agents
reserve the right to accept or retain anyone who may, in their sole
judgment, require care and attention beyond that which can be provided.
Minimum
Number of Participants
This exclusive BT Pilgrimage Tour requires the minimum of 25 passengers
to be guaranteed for the quoted price, withholding unforeseen
circumstances.
Baggage
Allowance Tour members
are allowed one suitcase per person, not exceeding 20 kg/44 pounds in weight
with dimensions not to exceed 158 cm (total length, width and height) Your
suitcase will be portered at the hotels. Tour members are responsible for
their one piece carry-on luggage at all times.
Itinerary
Variations Unforeseen
circumstances beyond our control may make changes necessary; we reserve
the right to vary the itinerary and to substitute hotels, cruise.
Passport
and visa A passport
valid until at least January 10, 2009 is required for all tour
participants.
Travel
Documentation Tour
documents (flight itinerary, passenger list, hotel list with phone
numbers, packing list and general information) will be handed out/mailed
during our mid summer social evening at a place and date to be determined.
Responsibility
Brinkman Travel Inc of St. Catharines acts as an agent for the various
owners or contractors providing transportation, hotels and other services
for the tour members. Brinkman Travel Inc shall not be liable or held
responsible directly or indirectly for any delay, injury including death,
loss of enjoyment, personal and/or property caused to any person, company
or association providing accommodation, transportation, or other services
in connection with the tour. The right is also reserved to withdraw all or
part of the cruise tour should conditions warrant and to make such
alterations in the itinerary as may be found desirable for the convenience
of the members and proper execution of the tour. The right is reserved to
decline or retain persons as members of the tour, in which case equitable
refund will be made at the discretion of the operators. In the event of a
tour being cancelled, Brinkman Travel's sole responsibility shall be the
refund of monies paid by the participant.
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