« Pilgrims from the Cathedral of the Dormition and the Parish of St Andrew the First-Called visited the holy places of Essex »

On Saturday, 21^st August, the parishioners of the Cathedral of the Dormition in London together with the faithful of the Parish of St Andrew the First-Called in Romford took part in a pilgrimage to the holy places of Essex. Priest Joseph Skinner, cleric of the Cathedral of the Dormition and Rector of the Parish of St Andrew the First-Called headed the pilgrimage.

The trip began with the visit to the monastery of St John the Baptist where Fr Joseph served a Panikhida at the tomb of Archimandrite Symeon, spiritual director of the monastery who departed on 21^st August 2009. After the Panikhida sister Nectaria showed the pilgrims the monastery. Afterwards everyone took part in a joint meal.

After visiting the monastery the pilgrims went to the Church of St Peter-on-the-Wall. The church was founded by St Cedd of Essex in 660-662 at the village of Bradwell-on-sea. Fr Joseph served a Moleben to St Cedd. St Bede the Venerable is believed to have mentioned this church when he wrote about the city of Ythanceaster in his Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation (Book III, Chapter XXII).