June-July 2010: Denmark(photo right: Viborg Cathedral, south portal)
Your pilgrims rode their bikes onto the ferry in Norway and sailed to Hirtshals, Denmark. They spent a couple of rainy days riding through the beautiful countryside of northern Jutland, and they spent a couple of nights in "primitive campgrounds" in peaceful Danish forests. As they got closer to the Pilgrim's Center at Viborg, they received hospitality from fellow pilgrims along the way--for example in Aalborg, Hobro and Vammen.
In Viborg, they met an old friend: Elizabeth Knox Seith is a former religion journalist who has recently been ordained a priest in the Danish Church and appointed as a pilgrim-priest at the Viborg Pilgrims Center. Their time together with her--and with a number of new friends whom we met through her--was full and fulfilling. They received a very warm welcome, holy hospitality and much assistance. Of course, they met and spoke with the council and friends of the new Pilgrims Center. There was a presentation at the church of their friends Birgitta and Flemming (who later took them to Aarhus Cathedral). They also spent a number of afternoons receiving visiting pilgrims at the center.
Three days a week, at noon, Elizabeth celebrates a brief prayer service in the crypt of the cathedral. They took part in that, singing, praying, reading from the Gospel and speaking. Then there were interviews for the newspaper, radio and television. Links to two of these are at the end of this post.
Then came the big Nordic Pilgrims Conference. This included not only pilgrims from Denmark, Norway and Sweden, but also guests from England and Germany. The Conference included four groups of pilgrims who walked to Viborg from the north, south, east and west, over the course of many days. Then there was a group who sailed into the Limfjord, as well as a number of people who came on their own.
Saturday night was the eve of St. Kjeld's day. There was a "Celtic" service in the cathedral which included sacred dance by a dear friend, Katrin Mann of Jena, Germany. It was followed by an all-night vigil in the Cathedral with hourly prayers and singing, and a communion service Sunday morning. Apparently, this was the first vigil service held for this occasion since the Danish reformation in 1536.
As we travel, we find many people engaged in utilitarian activities: performing mundane tasks in mundane buildings in the midst of mundane and increasingly godless social institutions. Our experience at the Pilgrims Conference made it clear how much people's souls are moved and their spirits nourished and strengthened by seemingly simple things: walking to holy places, praying in beautiful churches, lighting candles, looking at sacred pictures, participating in sacred dance, making or listening to inspired music. Of course, the practical tasks of providing for food, clothing and shelter are important and indispensable. But if they crowd out our striving for the good, our love of the truth and our appreciation of the beautiful, then they will lose all meaning and purpose. Even more: A one-sided approach to life will make our souls and our society cruel, barren and mechanized. The pilgrimage movement in Scandinavia bears witness to the striving of so many people for harmony, simplicity and holiness in their lives. Let us help and encourage one another in this striving...no matter where we are!
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You can watch the TV news report at this address:
http://www.tv2regionerne.dk/player.aspx?id=552786&r=6
You can link to the newspaper article here: Viborg-article
Please note: There were two big errors in the article! First: We are not only baptized Orthodox Christians, but also believing Christians.
Second: Our bicycles were indeed blessed in England, but by an Orthodox priest, in an Orthodox monastery.
There are also a few minor errors which we won't mention. Unfortunately, this is not the first time that even well intentioned reporters have made factual errors in their articles.
