End-of-the-year nocturnal foot pilgrimage from Maranatha to 's-Hertogenbosch
Since 2013, at the end of each academic year, Tilburg University Chaplaincy proposes a nocturnal pilgrimage on foot from Maranatha to St John's Cathedral in 's-Hertogenbosch.
A pilgrimage is a journey to a place that is connected to and speaks to us of our destiny. The journey itself - in our case, all night long - is an opportunity to reflect on your own life: on what happened to you, on what you really want; and to "pray," that is, to ask the Mystery for the things we want but cannot realize with our own effort. The typical and beautiful thing about a pilgrimage is that the journey itself is already a form of prayer.
When you make a pilgrimage together, you support each other with each other's presence. Thus the pilgrimage becomes a model and image of life itself.
At the end of this eventful year we also want to make such a pilgrimage. After a Holy Mass, on Saturday 24 June at 10.30 pm in university church Maranatha (Prof. Cobbenhagenlaan 19, Tilburg) (Maranatha is open from 10 pm), we leave at midnight. We'll walk via Tilburg, Udenhout, Biezenmortel, Helvoirt, Vught and the Bossche Broek to St John's Cathedral in 's-Hertogenbosch, where we'll conclude our journey on Sunday morning around 7.30 am with the liturgical morning prayer and a personal silent moment at the statue of Mary the "Sweet Mother" of 's-Hertogenbosch.
The pilgrimage is about 27 km. Put on good walking shoes and clothing suitable for walking and adapted to the forecast weather and nighttime temperature. You should also bring enough sweet and salty food and enough drinks with you for the journey. A reflective vest and a flashlight (e.g. the one on your smartphone) increase safety on some dark road sections.
After the morning prayer and a moment at the statue of the Sweet Mother, we are served breakfast in the garden of the St.Janscentrum (Papenhulst 4, 's-Hertogenbosch). After that, everyone returns to Tilburg on their own (for example by public transport).
Register for this activity by reporting your presence by 21 June in the MijnRKK app or by sending an e-mail to chaplainnl@protonmail.com and, at the same time, transferring the contribution of 5 euro (including the breakfast) to iban NL76RABO0354297589 mentioning "24JUN23" and your name and surname.
Looking forward to walk with you!