spring 2010

Adult Pilgrimage: Building Relationships and Sacred Space

by Richard Hall

When Dean Inamar de Souza visited our parish a year ago, she invited a team from All Saints’ to visit the Cathedral of St. Paul, the Apostle in the Anglican/Episcopal diocese of Rio de Janeiro. She outlined the type of church related experiences that she believed All Saints’ team members might share with members of the Cathedral. The Cathedral membership is small and Inamar is diligently working to build its membership and programs. Upon returning from Rio last June, we hoped to build a team of ten to visit Rio in 2010.

An All Saints’ adult pilgrimage to Rio and in particular the Cathedral of St. Paul the Apostle will leave Atlanta on the evening of June 18 and arrive back in Atlanta early in the morning on June 26. This past fall, I approached sixteen Saints’, who met the criteria Inamar described. In conversation with prospective participants, I was asked whether we could use the pilgrimage model that our youth use for their annual J2A pilgrimages. As I write this article, fourteen members are preparing to make the pilgrimage. By the end of the first team meeting, in which each person shared why she or he was interested in making the Rio pilgrimage, there existed great energy mixed with anticipation.

The goal of the pilgrimage is two-fold: we will continue to build our relationship with the Rio Cathedral, and offer pilgrims an opportunity to experience “sacred space” in their own lives. Inamar is designing our itinerary, which will include opportunities to work along with Cathedral members on their organic garden projects and painting. Also, Noelle York-Simmons and Karol Kimmel will share their worship and children’s musical knowledge. Deb Daughtery, who speaks Portuguese like a native Brazilian, will help us with the language issues, which will occur. Dustin Chambers will document our experiences with the goal of preparing a visual and verbal journey of our experiences. The goal is to develop a bilingual communication piece, which both parishes can use. Interspersed with this work will be visits to Rio’s major tourist attractions including the famed Copacabana and Ipanema beaches.

Rio residents, known as “cariocas,” offer warm hospitality, which appears to be in their DNA. We are fortunate to be their guests. Pray that we will share with grace the many gifts the pilgrimage may offer our Rio friends.

Richard Hall has been director of Christian Social Ministries at All Saints’ since 2005. He is responsible for coordinating All Saints’ staff and volunteers in their commitment to Atlanta ministries including Threads, the refugee ministry, the Bedford –Pine and C.W. Hill programs, the Covenant Community. He is also responsible for the global missions work in the diocese of Rio de Janeiro and with St. Hilary’s Church in Kibondo, Tanzania. He will be retiring from this position in May.

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