An article in the Church Times a week or so ago by the Revd Professor Dee Dyas reminded us that pilgrimages are surprisingly popular at the moment.
“The widespread resurgence of interest in pilgrimage only began in the 1980s, although it has grown exponentially since”, he writes. “The increase in pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, which is one of the main drivers of the current revival of interest, illustrates this clearly. In 1980, just 209 pilgrims were recorded, whereas in 2025, the number was more than 530,000.
“This spectacular growth is mirrored elsewhere. Religious pilgrimage involves more than 300 million people from different faiths worldwide each year. What is sometimes called “secular” pilgrimage accounts for many millions more, as people journey for well-being, time out, processing aspects of their lives, or for the sheer joy of walking, cycling, and engaging with landscapes and places along the way.”
The article also includes tips about how to make your church a place of pilgrimage. Have we ever thought of doing that at Str George’s? Oddly enough we have a surprising number of things in our favour – a wonderful climate, easy access (both to the church and to Malaga itself), great restaurants, and beautiful location. But best of all, surely is the fact that we are located in the heart of a famous and historic cemetery, the final resting place of many notable figures including Joseph William Noble, whose heirs donated a hospital to the city, Irish army officer, Robert Boyd, who took part in an insurrection against Spanish King Ferdinand VII, Spanish poet Jorge Guillén, British Hispanist Gerald Brenan, American poet Gamel Wolsey. Finnish author Aarne Haapakoski, and economist Marjorie Grice-Hutchinson.
Read the article in the Church Times here.