By Fr Peter Verity

The editor's early morning call left a series of questions - and a request for a fifty-word answer. Here are some of the answers - in a few more words.

Q. Was the pilgrimage worth the extra work?
A. Most definitely YES. With a good tour company (Tours for Churches) doing the initial preparation and keeping us well informed, there wasn't a lot extra to do beforehand. During the tour, our excellent Turkish guides took away all the worry.

Q. What were the benefits?
A. a) For the pilgrims - a renewed sense of what it means to be a pilgrim people, an exposure to Biblical places giving an insight into the early Christian Church, and, a good enjoyable holiday among friends.
b) A new awareness of wider Faith communities, especially Islam. Their customs, beliefs, traditions and practice were experienced at close quarters, giving us a new understanding of them.
c) An increased sense in the whole parish of being a pilgrim Church, of welcoming outsiders, of our role in the wider community and of our communal faith journey.

Q. Would I do it again, or recommend it to others?
A. Yes, most definitely. All good retreats can be hard at times but refreshing in the longer term. This was a retreat for parishioners and others - with a difference. It was less work than anticipated, beneficial in all sorts of unexpected ways, and had the bonus of being a very happy and enjoyable holiday. A card has just come through the door: “I would like to say a big "thank you" to you for organising the Turkey Pilgrimage for us. It was a wonderful spiritual experience, and also a great holiday. Thank you so much”. Need I say more?

Editor’s Note: I was lucky enough to have been part of this pilgrimage and I would like to say a public thank you to Fr Peter and his group for what I regard as one of the really great trips I have had. In addition to the planned visits, we had the good fortune of attending a performance of Verdi’s Requiem in the floodlit Roman amphitheatre at Ephesus VF