A pilgrimage — Somers Town to Gumley July 4th 2010

Marie Madeleine d’Houët, Foundress of the Faithful Companions of Jesus, established several communities in London. The first, in 1830,  was  at Somers Town in  central London. Then in 1841, she bought Gumley House in Isleworth. At that  time this area of west London was relatively rural and  Gumley House, with its beautiful boarding school, was an oasis of quiet away from the centre of the City.  Recently, a group of  Companions walked the route from central London to Gumley as a pilgrimage. 

'We set off on pilgrimage, in the steps of Marie Madeleine, in lovely weather. Marie Madeleine chose Gumley House as a house to rest, away from the centre of London, and so we thought of connecting both sites by making a pilgrimage between the two. We wanted to ask  Marie Madeleine’s intercession for the FCJ Sisters, Companions in Mission and for the needs of the world.

The idea was to follow the 20 km bicycle route; however, at the end, we only managed to do a part of it. We prayed, talked and walked, and wondered what the journey from Somers Town to Gumley in Marie Madeleine’s time would have been like. When we arrived at Gumley, we were welcomed on the doorstep by Kate Frost fcJ and taken into the house, where Marie Madeleine spent time.'

Meanwhile, Gertrude Hodkinson fcJ prayed 'the four stops' at home, supporting us by her prayer.

To access the prayer leaflet that was used, click here