Pilgrims Follow in St Etheldreda’s Footsteps

The Diocese of East Anglia is marking its 50th anniversary with a Jubilee of celebrations to explore the history and growth of Catholic life in the region. As part of this jubilee, the diocese is highlighting various historic and contemporary places of worship and pilgrimage.

A recent report by Deacon Martin L’Estrange, a member of a pilgrimage group from King’s Lynn, examines the history of pilgrimage to Ely. The site became a prominent destination during the early medieval period because of the abbey founded by St Etheldreda in the seventh century. The abbey housed her tomb and became a center for veneration due to miracles attributed to her intercession.

St Etheldreda, also known as Æthelthryth or Audrey, was the daughter of King Anna of East Anglia. After her marriages, she lived as a nun at Coldingham in Scotland before moving to Ely in 673. There, she established an abbey for both monks and nuns on the site of the current cathedral.