The Reverend Tom Mumford will be walking on pilgrimage from Sudbury to Bury St Edmunds to raise money for the Kernos Centre and to offer prayers for the town Sudbury. 

On 22^nd August, Curate of the civic church for Sudbury St Gregory’s, will be making a pilgrimage from his church, to St Edmundsbury Cathedral and the abbey ruins where St Edmund’s shrine once laid. He will begin and end his 18-20 miles journey in prayer at these ancient holy sites. Tom will walk largely on the St Edmund’s way pilgrim path, which has seen thousands of pilgrims throughout the centuries. 

Tom hopes to offer the prayers of Sudbury both on the way, and at his destination, which has been a site of pilgrimage for a thousand years. People can submit their prayers privately via the prayer request form on the church website www.stgregorychurchsudbury.co.uk 

Tom says: 

“I love journeys. They’re something I missed massively during lockdown, not least because a week before I broke my foot, meaning even a daily walk was impossible. But I love journeys not so much for the destination, but because of what you learn on the way – what it allows you to notice, to see from a different perspective.  

“One of the reasons for this, I believe, is that God, as the wellspring of life, is in all things, and that every thing is in some way of him. This makes every journey, every stepping out from our homes, an adventure of God, an opportunity to learn more of him, and in turn to learn more of ourselves. It is with this sense of excitement and anticipation that I make this pilgrimage.” 

As part of Tom’s pilgrimage, he hopes to raise money for local mental health support charity the Kernos Centre. Tom says:  

“The COVID19 pandemic has heightened anxiety in our nation like nothing I have seen in my life time. Isolation has intensified loneliness, lockdown has caused both mental and financial depression. Our lives have been changed entirely, almost overnight. We have all had our dark days and weeks, how could we not?  

“Though many of us choose not to talk about it, I know from my own experience, and from speaking to parishioners during lockdown that things have been really up and down. Some weeks have been good, enjoying the sun and the lack of evening meetings. But some weeks have been tough, feeling as if there’s no end in sight, missing out on big occasions – the black dog has been well and truly present.” 

“Recognising the increasing need for mental health support at this time, all money I raise will be donated to the Kernos centre, to support local people in their time of need.” 

To donate, go to Tom’s ‘Go Fund Me’ page: gf.me/u/yizhdu .

See also the article in the East Anglian Daily Times www.eadt.co.uk/news/tom-mumford-sudbury-walk-to-bury-st-edmunds-1-6768391 and these photos: photo 1 and photo 2 .