Student Cross
Take up your cross and follow me...
'Chantal Noppen, ex-youth worker of All Saints' Gosforth and current Newcastle Ordinand at Westcott House, writes:
It is often said that ‘pilgrimage is not really about the destination, it’s more about the journey’ and for a walking pilgrimage, such as Student Cross, this is certainly true.
I first walked Student Cross when I was 17, although looking back I’m not quite sure how I was persuaded that what I really wanted to do during my Easter holiday was walk 120 miles with a bunch of people I didn’t know while carrying a large wooden cross. I don’t remember what I expected but probably not quite what I found. It was so very different from previous experiences of Easter and Holy week and in comparison it didn’t feel overly ‘holy’ yet God was there, ever present and intrinsically woven through all that we did. Even if not always explicitly named.
Student Cross is all about Easter. During the week we are totally immersed in the experience of Holy Week with all its highs and lows. Through the process, to quote Father Timothy Radcliffe, you find 'not a sentimental sense of oneness but a discovery of who you are by being in communion with those who are different'. It would be hard not to! The diverse range of backgrounds and denominations that are represented on Student Cross adds to the challenge but also the fun of ‘being in this together’. There will be something that challenges everyone one way or another – that is pretty much a given. However, a common goal is a strong bond and working through these issues and differences forces you to dig deep and pull together. Walking the road and carrying the cross together, sharing your journeys – both physical and spiritual, for a while.
Student Cross started in 1948, it was originally a group of Catholic students walking from London to Walsingham, which has been a place of pilgrimage in Britain since medieval times. Over the years the organisation has evolved ecumenically and grown in size greatly. Now there are ten groups who take part, called legs, each starting from a different location. Six are full time legs and they walk around 120 miles each, there are two shorter routes for those who are unable to commit the time to a full week of walking and there are also two family legs. Each leg has its own personality and characteristics and will do things slightly differently, so it is a good idea to do a bit of research first! We all arrive in Walsingham on Good Friday, walking the final mile (the ‘holy mile’) from the Slipper chapel together. United in joy, fatigue and excitement. The point when the 250-300 pilgrims of all ages switch to singing ‘Jesus Remember Me’ before arriving in Friday Market never fails to give me goosebumps. We then spend the weekend in Walsingham celebrating the Easter liturgies together.
A slogan often used to describe Student Cross is: 'A week of fellowship and a lifetime of friendships' and for me this sums up both what we stand for and what I’ve found there. This is reflected in the age range of the walkers. Many people start Student Cross as students and find themselves still walking 15, 20, 30, 40 years later or their children are now part of the community. I have been walking for ten years and it is still a massive part of my life. Student Cross has moulded my faith and inspired my belief in the church. The friends I have made there have seen me through all the ups and downs of life – and they in turn have let me see them in all their varying shades too. It is humbling, holy and precious.
Others say of Student Cross:
“It’s massively spiritually renewing, if physically knackering”
“it creates a space to live fully with those I walk with and experience God’s presence”
“I found a new family”
“opportunity to praise, worship and witness in a way not normally available to me”.
This year I am serving as the national leader, the General Organising Director, for one year. It may be the last year I can be directly involved. I am currently studying towards ordination in the Church of England, yet feel sure that I would not be here if it was not for Student Cross. No matter where my journey goes from here, the experiences I have had through this walking pilgrimage I will carry with me always.
Sometimes we need to be reminded to take a step back and remember who we are, and why we are. This is the person we should strive to be when we live our day to day lives, when we walk through the door, whether at work, home or church, perhaps especially as we leave church and step out into the world. We must all find ways of doing this, for some this will be done on Student Cross, sharing the road and the journey for a while. We’d love you to join us.
Please see www.studentcross.org for more information and get in touch if you’d like to know more.