The Passion behind the Pilgrimage
“Have we really done everything we can to make our voices heard above the clamour for death?”
When the Right Reverend Philip Egan, Bishop of Portsmouth, posed that piercing question to the nation following the passage of devastating legislation in Parliament, it echoed deeply in the hearts of Christians across Britain.
For 64-year-old mother, scientist, and pro-life volunteer Livia Tossici-Bolt, the answer came not in words, but as an undeniable call to action.
Today, Livia is trading a sign for walking sticks. Along with three other courageous women, she is embarking on Canticle for Life- an epic 107-mile pilgrimage on foot across Southern England, from Winchester to central London.
As we go we will be sharing the “Canticle for Life”- a newly written poem by Fr. Thomas Hiney. . It contrasts the indifference of the world with the redemptive, loving response of the Church, to life issues concluding:
“That is why we March. Because we love.”
We invite you to join our footsteps, pray with us, walk with us, share our message, and help us raise £2,000 to fuel the national witness for life at March for Life UK and share the Canticle for Life hymn with hearts across the globe!
LIVIA'S STORY: CRIMINALISED FOR OFFERING A CONVERSATION
Many across the world already know Livia’s name. A year and a half ago, the Bournemouth leader of 40 Days for Life found herself at the epicenter of an international storm over free speech and the basic right to offer compassion.
Standing outside a local abortion facility within a small hand written sign saying “Here to talk, if you want” Livia was prosecuted for breaking the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) “buffer zone that surrounded the clinic.
For this quiet, consensual offer of help to women in distress, Livia was prosecuted, issued a criminal record, and faced staggering costs of £20,000.
Her case made global headlines, prompting the United States State Department (Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, & Labor) to intervene publicly on X, declaring they were actively monitoring her case and stating: “It is important that the UK respect and protect freedom of expression.”
Others faced similar injustice within that same zone, including UK Army Veteran Adam Smith-Connor- who was charged for simply praying silently in his head. Another gentleman, 82-year-old David Skinner, was also prosecuted for sending an email to the police showing the facts of what is going on inside the clinic.
Yet, rather than retreating in silence or bitterness, Livia resolved to take the message of life and freedom out of the courtrooms and onto the historic pilgrim trails of England.
A 107-MILE PENITENTIAL PILGRIMAGE: 240,000 STEPS FOR HUMAN DIGNITY 🥾⛪
Beginning on August 27th, four women will step out from St. Peter’s Church in Winchester to retrace the ancient St. James’s Way and Shakespeare’s Way in reverse, trekking all the way to the historic shrine of Tyburn Convent in London on September 4th:
- Livia Tossici-Bolt (Bournemouth)
- Elisabetta Pittino (Journalist, President of FederVita Lombardia-APS, Missio ad Gentes Portsmouth)
- Luisa (Holy Trinity Parish, Brescia, Italy)
- Carolyn (Missio ad Gentes, Portsmouth)
This is no walk in the park! Covering 107 miles means enduring blisters, exhaustion, rain, and the frustrations of wrong turns.
Yet every single step is a prayer:
- For the unborn children whose lives are ended without a voice.
- For mothers wounded by UK abortions
- For the conversion of politicians and healthcare leaders to affirm the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death.
- For the restoration of free speech and freedom of conscience in the United Kingdom.
- For true peace, remembering Pope St. Paul VI’s timeless words: “If you want peace, defend life.”
THE ROUTE: 9 DAYS ACROSS SOUTHERN ENGLAND 📍
More important than giving would be participating. If you are free on these dates and would like to join our pilgrimage email canticleforlife@gmail.com
- August 26: Commissioning Mass & Blessing at Sacred Heart Church, Waterlooville (12:00 PM) with Fr. Thomas Hiney.
- August 27 (Official Start): Departure Blessing from St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Winchester (9:30 AM).
- Stage 1 (Aug 27): Winchester ➡️ Upper Wield
- Stage 2 (Aug 28): Upper Wield ➡️ Worting (Basingstoke)
- Stage 3 (Aug 29): Worting ➡️ Silchester
- Stage 4 (Aug 30): Silchester ➡️ Reading
- Stage 5 (Aug 31): Reading ➡️ Henley-on-Thames
- Stage 6 (Sep 1): Henley-on-Thames ➡️ Cookham
- Stage 7 (Sep 2): Cookham ➡️ Burnham Beeches
- Stage 8 (Sep 3): Burnham Beeches ➡️ Grand Union Canal (Northolt)
- Stage 9 (Sep 4): St. Benedict’s Abbey (Ealing) ➡️ Tyburn Convent (London)
- September 5 (The Grand Finale): Joining thousands of believers, families, and 14 Catholic Bishops (concelebrating Mass at Westminster Cathedral) at the national March for Life UK in central London!
“LIFE UNITES”: AN ECUMENICAL CALL TO ALL CHRISTIANS 🤝
This pilgrimage embodies the truth that “life unites”. We have already contacted Anglican parishes, Evangelical congregations, and Catholic communities along the route are have been touched by those opening their doors to pray and support us.
Behind the walkers is an international powerhouse of prayer- from local pregnancy support centers to the Convent as far away as in Italy and France. While we walk and pray for the UK others have committed to praying for us.
HOW YOU CAN HELP: PARTICIPATE FIRST, THEN DONATE! 🫱🫲
Before you consider giving financially, we ask for your personal presence and prayerful solidarity. Here are your options:
1. Walk With Us on the Path 🥾
You do not have to walk all 107 miles to make a difference but please consider joining Livia, Elisabetta, Luisa, and Carolyn for a morning, afternoon, a whole day, or just a few miles along the route through Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, or London. (Even veterans like Adam Smith-Connor may be joining for parts of the journey!)
2. Join March for Life UK on September 5th 🇬🇧
Be part of the grand arrival in Westminster! Stand alongside 14 Bishops and thousands of peaceful witnesses showing Britain that life is precious from conception to natural end.
3. Share the "Canticle for Life" Video 📲
Help us pierce the silence. Share our posts, video anthem, and updates with your church, friends, and family online.
4. Support Our £2,000 Target 🎯
If you are able to contribute financially, your donation will go a tremendous way:
- Primary Focus: Backing the vital public witness of March for Life UK, helping fund logistics, youth engagement, and peaceful outreach in the heart of London.
- Campaign & Marketing Costs: Behind the scenes we are working with a Christian marketing company to help broadcast our cause and updates from the road and distribute the Canticle for Life hymn nationwide to awaken the European conscience.
STAND WITH US IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ST. JAMES 🕊️
"We must also remember August 19, 1989, when St. John Paul II asked young people gathered at World Youth Day in Santiago: “Are you willing to defend human life with the utmost care at all times, even the most difficult?” Countless voices answered “Yes!” — and just three months later, the Berlin Wall fell,
writes journalist and fellow walker, Elisabetta Pittino,
"Today, there is a new wall that must fall: the wall of abortion, assisted suicide, euthanasia, and the culture of death."
Over the next 9 days and 240,000 steps, we are marching to bring that wall down.
Please pray for the four pilgrims, step onto the trail with us, share our mission, and give whatever you can today.
For questions, route check-ins, or media inquiries:
📧 Canticleforlife@gmail.com
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