Several events were held in the Province of Ireland to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the arrival of the Franciscan friars in the British Isles.
On the 10th September, the Franciscan Family made a pilgrimage to England: from Dover, where the first friars landed in 1224, to Canterbury, where they founded the first small fraternity. Another pilgrimage took place from the Catholic cathedral in Southwark (London) to the Anglican cathedral in the same city.
The Feast of the Stigmata was celebrated in the church of St. Francis in Stratford (London). Mass was presided over by the Bishop of Brentwood, Mgr. Alan Williams SM, whilst the homily was preached by Br. Aidan McGrath OFM, Minister of the Province of Ireland. It was an opportunity to commemorate the centenary of the arrival of the friars, the 70 years of priesthood of Br. Brian McGrath OFM and the affiliation to the Province of Mr. S. T Mayair Gomes.
