Lesson video

Hi, I'm Miss Minton, and welcome to this "Living the Christian Life" lesson on pilgrimage, Walsingham, and Taize.

Now, by the end of this lesson, you'll be able to explain the importance of pilgrimage and the significance of Walsingham and Taize for Christians.

Now, lots of our learning today might be new to you, but please don't worry because I'm here to guide you through each step of our lesson, and I'm confident that by the end of the lesson, you will be able to achieve this outcome.

So, let's get started and take a look at our keywords for today.

We have "monastic," "pilgrimage," "Taize," and "Walsingham." The word "monastic" refers to living a religious life in a distinct community and being focused on prayer and devotion to God.

The word "pilgrimage" refers to a religious journey to a holy site or a sacred place, and it's usually done as an act of worship and devotion.

Taize is a Christian monastic community that was founded in the village of Taize in France in 1940.

And Walsingham is a village in Norfolk, England, and it's been a Christian pilgrimage site since the 11th century.

Now, our lesson today will have two parts.

We'll start by looking at Walsingham as a place of pilgrimage, and we'll then move on to look at Taize as a place of pilgrimage.

So, let's get started by taking a look at Walsingham as a place of pilgrimage.

So to get started, I've got some questions that I'd like you to consider.

What is a pilgrimage? Who might go on a pilgrimage and why? And do you know of any pilgrimage destinations? So, pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me, or have a think to yourself.

Off you go.

So, a pilgrimage is a journey to a holy site or a place of religious significance, so a place that's important for religious reasons.

People who go on pilgrimage are known as pilgrims. Usually, pilgrims are religious believers, but non-religious people can also go on a pilgrimage.

Pilgrimage destinations can vary across religions.

So, for example, Iona is a popular pilgrimage destination within Christianity, and Mecca is a popular pilgrimage destination within Islam.

Now, I'd like you to consider: why might religious believers want to go on a journey to a place of religious significance? So, pause the video again and talk to a partner, talk to me, or have a think to yourself.

Off you go.

So as part of your thinking time or your discussion, you may have said that religious believers might want to go on a pilgrimage to grow closer to God and strengthen their faith, to worship and pray, to seek spiritual and/or physical healing, or to meet new people who share the same or similar beliefs to them.

So now we've looked at a few reasons why religious believers might go on a pilgrimage; let's imagine that I've been asked, "Why might Christians go on a pilgrimage?" My response is that they might go to grow closer to God.

Now, I'm going to ask you the same question, so I would also like you to give a reason why Christians might go on pilgrimage.

So, pause the video and have a go.

So you may have said that Christians might go on a pilgrimage to worship and to pray, to seek healing, or to meet other people who share the same beliefs as them.

So well done if you got one of those answers or something similar.

Now, as well as there being different reasons why Christians might go on pilgrimage, there are also different places that Christians can go.

Now, one example is Walsingham, which is a popular pilgrimage site within England, and it's located in the county of Norfolk.

Now, Walsingham became a pilgrimage site in 1061 when a noblewoman named Richeldis de Faverches had a vision of the Virgin Mary.

Richeldis was married to the Lord of the Manor of Walsingham Parva, and she was a religious woman who was devoted to the Virgin Mary.

She was known for her generosity and her good works.

And in her vision in 1061, Richeldis was taken by the Virgin Mary and shown the house in Nazareth, where the angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary and shared the news of her pregnancy.

In the vision, the Virgin Mary asked Richeldis to build the exact replica of the house in Nazareth in Walsingham.

And this led to the creation of what was known as the Holy House, and Walsingham became known as "England's Nazareth." And later, a priory, which is a small monastery or nunnery, was built around the Holy House, and this became the focus of the pilgrimage.

So, let's check your understanding.

True or false? Walsingham became a place of Christian pilgrimage following a vision of the Virgin Mary in 1061.

Fantastic! That statement is true.

But why is that statement true? Well, it's because in 1061, the Virgin Mary appeared to a noblewoman named Richeldis, and in the vision, the Virgin Mary took Richeldis to the house in Nazareth where the angel Gabriel announced the Virgin Mary's pregnancy.

She then asked Richeldis to build a replica of the house in Nazareth in Walsingham.

So, well done for identifying that that statement is true and for identifying the reason why.

Now, in the Middle Ages, Walsingham was the second most popular pilgrimage site in the UK, with Canterbury being the first.

However, the priory and the Holy House at Walsingham were destroyed in the 1500s during the Protestant Reformation.

This is because Protestants disagreed with the idea of pilgrimage and the wealth of Walsingham.

But today, ruins of the priory arches and walls can still be seen, and they're open to visitors and pilgrims. Now, in 1931, the shrine was rebuilt after being destroyed, and this is because attitudes towards pilgrimage among Anglican Christians had changed, and the shrine was rebuilt and reopened to pilgrims. Now, today, Walsingham is actually home to both the Catholic National Shrine and the Anglican Shrine of Our Lady, which means that Walsingham is a popular place of pilgrimage for both Roman Catholic Christians and Anglican Christians.

And today, Walsingham is a very welcoming place for visitors and pilgrims, and actually contains places for pilgrims to stay once their pilgrimage has ended.

We're now going to hear from some Christians who have actually visited Walsingham, and we're going to hear about their experience and what they did during their time there.

First up, we're going to hear from Danielle, who is a Roman Catholic Christian, and she has visited Walsingham and explains her experience.

Danielle says: "I visited Walsingham for the national pilgrimage on the Spring Bank Holiday.

The pilgrimage involved walking slowly to the shrine, including walking the last mile barefoot, which I did as an act of penance, so to repent for my sins.

"I also attended a service called the Sprinkling of the Well, where I gathered with others at the Holy Well to receive a sip of holy water, and the sign of the cross was made on my forehead.

During the pilgrimage, I felt a sense of peace, and I felt as though the Virgin Mary was walking with me.

I also enjoyed spending time with others who share my beliefs.

After the pilgrimage, I felt renewed, and it reminded me of the power of prayer and devotion.

I'd love to go back to Walsingham again one day." Now we're going to hear from Fiona, who is an Anglican Christian that has also visited Walsingham.

Fiona says: "When I visited Walsingham, I joined the procession from the Anglican Shrine of Our Lady to the Holy House.

I felt a profound sense of unity and peace during the procession.

I also attended the healing service, which left me feeling healed, not physically, but spiritually.

As well as taking part in worship, I also enjoyed being with other Christians and appreciating the historic significance of Walsingham." So, what we've seen here are examples of two Christians from different denominations that have both visited Walsingham and found that it's an important place for their religion.

So now we've heard from some Christians who have visited Walsingham, let's imagine that I've been asked to outline three activities that Christians might take part in during a pilgrimage to Walsingham.

I've said that Christians might take part in the Sprinkling of the Well.

Now, I've been asked to outline three, but I've only outlined one activity.

So, I'd like you to help me and outline another two activities that Christians might take part in during a pilgrimage to Walsingham.

So, pause the video and have a go.

So you may have said that Christians might take part in the national pilgrimage walk or attending mass, or they might pray and worship, or they might attend a healing service or take part in processions.

So well done if you got one of those answers or something similar.

It's now time for you to have a go at the task.

Laura is explaining why Walsingham is a place of pilgrimage for Christians.

Laura has said, "Walsingham is a place of pilgrimage because it's believed that the Virgin Mary appeared there.

Christians go on pilgrimage to Walsingham following this vision to feel closer to the Virgin Mary and connect with God." Now, Laura's paragraph is missing some key details about why Walsingham is a place of pilgrimage for Christians.

I would like you to add to Laura's answer to include the missing details.

So pause the video and have a go.

Well done for working on that task.

So you were asked to add to Laura's answer to include missing details about why Walsingham is a place of pilgrimage for Christians, and your response might be similar to this.

Walsingham is a place of pilgrimage for Christians because it's believed that the Virgin Mary appeared there in 1061 to Richeldis de Faverches, the wife of the Lord of the Manor of Walsingham Parva.

In the vision, the Virgin Mary showed Richeldis the house in Nazareth where her pregnancy was announced and asked her to build a replica of the house in Walsingham.

Christians go on pilgrimage to Walsingham following this vision to feel closer to the Virgin Mary and connect with God.

So well done for adding to Laura's answer and including details about why Walsingham is a place of pilgrimage for Christians.

We're now moving on to the second part of our lesson, which is to look at Taize as a place of pilgrimage.

Now, as well as there being pilgrimage sites for Christians in the UK, there's also pilgrimage sites all over the world that Christians can go to, and Taize is an example of this.

Taize is a village in eastern France, and it's a popular pilgrimage destination for many Christians.

Taize has been a place of pilgrimage for Christians since Roger Schutz, a Protestant Christian leader, founded a monastic community there in 1940.

Now, Roger Schutz dedicated his life to promoting peace, reconciliation, and unity among Christians.

And in 1940, during World War II, he moved to Taize and began sheltering refugees, so people who were fleeing their homes due to the war.

Over time, he formed a monastic community of brothers from different Christian traditions, and this is where Christian monks could live a communal life dedicated to their religious practise.

So let's check your understanding so far.

What did Roger Schutz set up at Taize? A, a nunnery; B, the Holy House; C, a monastic community; or D, a basilica? Fantastic.

The correct answer is C.

Roger Schutz set up a monastic community in Taize.

Well done.

Now, although the monastic community was founded in 1940, today pilgrims still visit Taize for a number of reasons.

For example, they go to take part in the monastic life as an act of devotion.

They go there to follow in the footsteps of Roger Schutz or the brothers who are part of the community.

They also go as an act of atonement and to learn more about their faith and grow stronger in their faith.

And many pilgrims who visit Taize today join in with the life of the monastic community, and this will often involve taking part in acts of worship and devotion.

For example, they will pray three times a day at the Church of Reconciliation.

They will take part in private and individual prayer.

They will also take part in Bible study groups with other people, and they will also share communal tasks, so live together and work together.

As well as this, there are also events and activities throughout the year for pilgrims to attend.

So, for example, there is a friendship meeting each year between young Christians and Muslims, and this is an opportunity for young people to get together and engage in interfaith dialogue, so young Christians and Muslims speaking about their faith and learning about each other.

We are now going to hear from Hannah, who is a Roman Catholic Christian, and she talks about her experience of visiting Taize.

Hannah says, "My trip to Taize was unique and different from the other pilgrimage that I'd been on.

Most people at Taize were young adults, and there was a real community feel to the experience.

I spent time living, working, and worshipping with others.

The pilgrimage felt like a new life rather than a trip.

It's an experience that I'll remember forever." Let's now imagine that I've been asked to outline three activities that Christians might take part in during a pilgrimage to Taize.

I've said that Christians might take part in prayer at the Church of Reconciliation.

Now, I've only outlined one activity that Christians might take part in when the question has asked me to outline three.

So I'd like you to help me by outlining another two activities that Christians might take part in during a pilgrimage to Taize.

So pause the video and have a go.

So you may have said that Christians might take part in Bible study, private prayer, or events like a friendship meeting between young Christians and Muslims. So well done if you've got one of those answers or something similar.

It's now time for you to have a go at a task.

Here's a full evaluation question that says: "All Christians should go on pilgrimage to Taize." If you were completing a full response to this statement, you'd be expected to evaluate the statement considering arguments for and against, and in your response, you would need to refer to Christian teachings, different Christian points of view, and a justified conclusion.

Now, for the purpose of today's task, you'll be responding to the statement by writing two paragraphs showing that you've considered arguments for and against.

Here's some guidance that you might find helpful when responding to the task.

When giving a point of view that supports the statement, you might start by saying that "Some Christians might agree that all Christians should go on pilgrimage to Taize because.

." and then give a reason why.

You might then develop that by saying, "This is because.

." offering an example and explaining what that shows.

When giving an alternative argument that's against the statement, you might start by saying, "However, other Christians may argue that.

." and then develop that by saying, "This is because.

." offering an example and explaining what that shows.

So pause the video and have a go.

Welcome for working on that task.

Let's now take a look at some possible responses.

So, for your point of view supporting the statement, you may have said that "Some Christians agree that all Christians should go on pilgrimage to Taize because it's a place where Christians can experience a monastic lifestyle." You may have then developed that by saying, "This is because the Taize community was founded by Roger Schutz as a monastic community, which Christians can still experience today.

For example, when Christians visit Taize, they can take part in worship, prayer, and communal living.

This shows that going on pilgrimage to Taize can be beneficial for Christians and give them an opportunity to grow in their faith." For an alternative point of view, you may have said, "However, other Christians may argue that there are other pilgrimage sites that might be more beneficial for Christians to visit." You may have then developed this by saying that "This is because there are some pilgrimage sites where religious figures are believed to have appeared.

For example, Walsingham in England is a pilgrimage site that dates back to an appearance of the Virgin Mary in a vision in 1061.

This shows that there are other places that Christians can or should go on pilgrimage that also have religious significance, not just Taize." So well done for responding to the statement and showing that you've considered more than one point of view.

We've now reached the end of our lesson, but before we finish, let's take a look at some of the key things that we've learned today.

So we've learned that a pilgrimage is a religious journey to a holy site or a sacred place.

We've looked at some examples of pilgrimage, including Walsingham, which has been a pilgrimage site since 1061, after a noblewoman named Richeldis had a vision of the Virgin Mary, and the Virgin Mary asked her to build a Holy House at Walsingham, which was later surrounded by a priory.

Today, Christians travel to Walsingham to see the ruins of the priory, take part in worship, prayer, and activities that can strengthen their faith.

We've also looked at Taize as an example of pilgrimage outside of the UK.

So Taize is a Christian place of pilgrimage located in France, and it was founded by Roger Schutz in 1940 as a monastic community.

We've seen that when visiting Taize, Christians can take part in the monastic lifestyle through worship, prayer, and communal living.

A huge well done for all of your work this lesson.

It's been wonderful learning with you today.