The Alban Pilgrimage

Saturday 22 June - St Alban's Day

Procession starts at 11am, St Peter's Church, St Albans

Join us for the Alban Pilgrimage - a magnificent procession organised by St Albans Cathedral, to celebrate St Alban, Britain's first saint.

Each year, 12ft tall carnival puppets, representing figures from the story of St Alban, take to the streets to reenact the historic events which lead to St Alban's execution at the hands of the Romans. The puppets are accompanied by people of all ages dressed as lions, Roman soldiers, angels, chariots and more, resulting in a stunning spectacle of colour and celebration.

As the earliest truth-teller for whom it cost his life, Alban is one of Britain’s greatest witnesses to Jesus 

 

- Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury

After the procession arrives at the Cathedral, services take place throughout the rest of the afternoon. You can also join us on the Abbey Orchard for Alban Fest, an afternoon of fun Roman themed activities, part of our Roman Festival, from 12pm until 6pm. 

Services are open to everyone and are as follows:

Festival Eucharist

Nave of St Albans Cathedral - takes place immediately after the procession.

This celebratory service takes place immediately after the procession is finished. Children's worship will take place at the same time. Children attending must sign up in advance - please contact [email protected] for information.

Preacher: The Very Rev'd Dr David Ison, Dean of St Paul's

Orthodox Service

Shrine of St Alban, 2pm

This is a traditional prayer service in honour of St Alban in the Shrine of the Cathedral. It concludes with a veneration of the relic of St Alban. All are welcome.

Anointing for Healing

Shrine of St Alban, 3pm

In this quiet service we received laying on of hands and anointing with oil, as a sign of God's healing and wholeness.

Festival Evensong

Nave of the Cathedral, 4pm

This service bring the pilgrimage day to a close, with music sung by the Cathedral Choir, readings and prayer. At the end of this serivce, the congregation processes to the Shrine to lay roses.

Preacher: Diarmaid MacCulloch, Professor of the History of the Church, Oxford University.

Can I join in as a Pilgrim?

Absolutely! We are delighted to welcome pilgrims, both from churches in St Albans Diocese and further afield, to join procession and continue the legacy of pilgrimage to the Shrine of St Alban, which dates back to at least 793 AD. If you would like to visit as part of a group from a church, please download and complete this form. To download our information booklet for pilgrims, click here. 

Children & Young People

We need children, teenagers and young adults to play a part in this truly unique event by dressing up as characters and operating the puppets as we walk in the steps of Saint Alban and tell his remarkable story.To download the registration form for children and young people, click here. 

We look forward to welcoming you!

If you require more information, please email us or call us on 01727 890210.

If you would like to find out more about accessibility at St Albans Cathedral, please visit our Access pages.