Explain why going on a pilgrimage is important for many Roman catholic Christians.

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Jodi Berkeley.

Explain why going on a pilgrimage is important for many Roman catholic Christians.

With reference to two places of pilgrimage explain the meaning and practices associated with them.

     A pilgrimage is a place a person goes to that has a special significance, it is a special place where something has happened, either where Jesus taught, where someone has appeared, a miracle has happened or where a martyr has died and later been named as a saint. The places have a special connection with great figures or events in the Roman Catholic religion. The places have a special holiness from being prayed in for many decades.

     People go on pilgrimages to feel closer to God as they feel more involved with him. The people make a special effort on their pilgrimage and this helps them to lead a disciplined spiritual life. The people feel closer to God as they are getting up and doing something. Going on a pilgrimage makes people aware of time on earth. It helps them to think and helps them to work out a sense of priorities.

     There are many different pilgrimage shrines people go to visit, in England there are two places you can visit, Walsingham ad Canterbury. There are also places abroad people can also visit, Rome and Taize. They also have Marion shrines, which are pilgrimage places associated with Our Lady. These are places where we believe she appeared like at Fatima where she appeared to three children and told them three secrets. Other shrines are places where Jesus taught and lived, a popular one is the Holy Land.

Jodi Berkeley.

     In Bethlehem where Jesus was born people visit the Church of the Nativity. The Church of the Nativity is bedecked with treasures that are believed to be gifts left by the rich and poor pilgrims for over one thousand years. People enter the grotto from the front of the church and touch the spot where Jesus is believed to have been born. The spot is marked by a star and has frankincense being burned nearby, as it is believed that one of the wise men brought frankincense to Jesus.

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     By the grotto there is another church called ‘Milk Grotto Church’, it has that name because it is believed when Mary was breast feeding Jesus some of her milk fell on the floor and stained it. Pilgrims buy stone replicas, as they believe it to improve breast-feeding,

     In the Holy Land people go and visit the many churches Jesus has meant to have been or performed a miracle. For example where Jesus fed the five thousand is now a church many visit.

At Capenaum people visit the synagogue where Jesus preached. They can also go down ...

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