The hand of St James

For 900 years this relic of the apostle of Christ has been in the Thames valley. It felt right to start with its home of I’m cycling all the way to Santiago Dr Compostela and the tomb holding the rest of him……
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I cycled to St Peter’s church Marlow and took my personal photo of the hand to the Ash Wednesday mass. Father Michael kindly blessed my pilgrimage and stamped my pilgrim passport.

The ride then took me through Wargrave and Sonning to Reading and the soon to be reopened abbey quarter.

It was fitting to show the hand where it had lived for 400 years since King Henry 1 founded the abbey in 1121 and Thomas A. Becket consecrated it in 1166.



Here’s the hand in the pilgrim chapel of St James church by the ruins of the abbey…..


My photos of the hand are ready to head south to Santiago.
Blessed and ready for a big adventure.
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