Hearts in Search of God

A National Pilgrimage Movement Comes to Middlesbrough

Across England and Wales, a quiet revival is taking place, one step at a time. Through the Hearts in Search of God project, each Catholic diocese is rediscovering the grace of pilgrimage. The national website www.pilgrimways.org.uk has been created to support this, offering downloadable routes, spiritual reflections, practical guidance, and resources to encourage a new culture of walking prayer rooted in place.

The project invites Catholics to become pilgrims again. There’s no boarding planes, but stepping out from our own cathedrals to walk, pray, and discover the sacred woven into our local land. Each route connects a cathedral to a shrine or holy place in the same diocese, allowing individuals and parish groups to engage in pilgrimage without leaving the country—or even the county.

These walks are not large-scale events, but personal, prayerful journeys. Some may take a day; others a weekend. But all offer space to slow down, to listen, and to walk with God.

The Middlesbrough Way: Our Lady of Mount Grace

Here in the Diocese of Middlesbrough, The Way of Our Lady of Mount Grace is offered as a potential route. This local path begins at Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Middlesbrough, and winds its way to the much-loved Lady Chapel at Osmotherley, our diocesan shrine.

The 26-mile route takes in striking countryside, quiet villages, and familiar landmarks—including Roseberry Topping, Captain Cook’s Monument, and stretches of the Cleveland Way. Pilgrims pass through Kildale, Battersby, Ingleby Greenhow, Great Broughton, and Kirkby, before returning westward to Lordstones and climbing the final hill to the Lady Chapel, nestled in prayerful silence above the ruins of Mount Grace Priory.

The Lady Chapel has long been a place of devotion. In penal times, Catholics were arrested for praying there. Today, the site is once again a focus of intercession and Marian grace, offering weekly Mass and 24-hour access for prayer. On Sunday 17th August our diocesan Assumption pilgrimage will take place there. Perhaps a few adventurous pilgrims might set off from the cathedral in time to arrive there?

Resources and Reflections

A downloadable map and route guide

GPX files for use on mobile devices

An “Outer Way” section with practical advice (stages, transport, food, accommodation)

An “Inner Way” section with scripture, prayer, and themes for reflection

A printable pilgrim passport and certificate on completion

The walk can be undertaken in stages or as a whole. It is suitable for individuals, parish groups, youth teams, and families—with plenty of opportunities to adapt the journey to suit different ages and abilities.

Preparing for the 2025 Jubilee: Pilgrims of Hope

The Pilgrim Ways project is also a direct response to the Holy Father’s invitation to prepare for the Jubilee Year of 2025: Pilgrims of Hope. A national pilgrimage gathering will take place in Nottingham on Saturday 13 September 2025, with walkers from across the country converging there from several starting points. Some in our diocese may wish to join that larger walk. But many will find their place, quite literally, on the path from our cathedral to the Lady Chapel.

An Invitation to All

You don’t need to be an athlete or a seasoned walker. You only need a willingness to take the first step. Whether you walk a full stage or a single stretch, what matters is that you walk with faith and intention.

We encourage parishes to:

Form small groups to walk parts of the route together

Offer hospitality if your community lies along the path

Promote the initiative through newsletters, Mass notices, and conversation

Pray for all who will walk, especially during this Jubilee preparation period