Pilgrim Roy Raising Money for CAFOD Coronavirus Appeal

Parishioner Roy Morrow on Day 1 of his Pilgrimage

A 'Virtual Pilgrimage'

Here is a tremendous initiative by parishioner Roy Morrow to boost funds for the CAFOD Coronavirus Appeal.  Roy has this message for his supporters:

"I would like to send a very special thank you to everyone who has supported this event, this is a critical appeal, a lot of people, in developing countries, will be relying very heavily on CAFOD and the other DEC charities as Covid-19 spreads around the world. Thank you very much for thinking of them."

Click here to support the pilgrimage

Roy explains below how the 'virtual pilgrimage' he starts today will work...

"I am going to walk the 82.2 mile pilgrimage from Guildford to Canterbury as a 'virtual pilgrimage'. I will walk 6 miles per day  thus taking 14 days to cover the distance of a pilgrimage to Canterbury from Guildford.

I am raising money for the DEC Coronavirus appeal supported by CAFOD.

We in the UK have struggled greatly with Coronavirus and we have good medical facilities and financial and research resources to fight it. 

Developing nations especially in the Southern Hemisphere have limited and in some cases NO ability to fight Coronavirus medically, people are much more vulnerable to catching the disease than in the West due to poverty and overcrowded living conditions. Appalling suffering could be about to take place. Out of sheer humanity we have a duty to help.

On a more selfish note we live in a connected world and if we allow the virus to ravage the Southern Hemisphere now, we will reap the whirlwind when it returns to the Northern Hemisphere next winter.

We are not just helping developing countries we are helping ourselves and all of humanity."

click here to support the pilgrimage

These photos from Day 1 of the pilgrimage summarise Roy's route to and from the all-important shop at the mid-way point, where he will buy his newspaper each day.  We hope the sun keeps shining for you Roy, and that you can keep awake to read the newspaper when you return home!

About Roy Morrow
Roy has retired from a career in Telecoms and IT and now plans to work independently in the sector. He has been attending St. Joseph's since 1993 when he was studying for an MSc at the University of Surrey.  He has lived both in and away from Guildford over the years and now resides in West Sussex, and is a member of both Guildford and Horsham Parishes.

click here to support the pilgrimage