Walking Pilgrims visit Shetland
In one week Shetland was blessed by the visit of two walking pilgrims, both originally from the USA and both called to connect with Shetland's 6th century Celtic spirituality, as well as make Christian connections today.
Kevin Caffrey, 35, is walking from Muckle Flugga to Rome, hoping to complete this journey in five months. He contacted Fr Ambrose to ask for a Pilgrim's blessing at the start of his journey.
I was at Mass that day and was able to meet him, and so I recognised him on the road to Sumburgh a few days later and was able to stop and encourage him.
He is mostly camping, and experiencing some poor Shetland weather with lots of wind and rain, so he was happy to have the offer of a bed for some nights from Ambrose and at Maranatha with us.
That same week, we had news at St Margaret's that another walking pilgrim, Ann Sieben, was in the Aberdeen diocese, having begun in York walking the sites of the early Celtic saints, and folk were encouraged to offer her a place of rest if they met her.
Ann was here in Shetland 15 years ago, and we knew her extraordinary story was worth hearing and sharing, so I got in touch with her and asked if she would consider coming to Shetland as part of her pilgrimage. She was delighted to hear from Shetland again, and altered her plans to include a visit here, coming via Thurso then Kirkwall.
Ann has been a mendicant pilgrim for many years, indeed, she has calculated she has walked the earth's circumference two and a half times! She has no home, ("I have good friends") and her only possessions are in a small rucksack that accompanies her on her journey. She carries her pilgrim credentials wherever she goes and they are signed by her hosts every night. When she arrives at a town or village she knocks at a church door and asks for a place to rest ... she is usually, though not always, given room in a church hall, a church, or sometimes a house.
It was a huge privilege to have her stay with us, and we were able to take her to St Ninians, Papa Stour, and Papil on Burra. She spoke after Mass to a group of people at St Margaret's and later to folk who joined us for lunch at the High School.
Ann has innumerable stories to tell, she is full of enthusiasm for the Pilgrim way of life and longs to share it. With help from her Archbishop in Denver, the Society of Servant Pilgrims was born, to enable others to share the privilege of walking with God. She says true pilgrimage builds trust between strangers, and this is the foundation of peace. She says you need good legs, an enduring spirit and unstoppable faith!
The photo above of Ann with Kevin was taken in St Magnus' Cathedral in Kirkwall on St Magnus' feast day. Kevin had been very keen to meet up with Ann as he had "never met anyone else who does this stuff". We put him in touch with her so that they were able to be in Kirkwall on the same day ... he heading south from Shetland, Ann heading north. Wonderful Godincidence!
I found Ann inspiring and energising, and was able to talk with her about some of our hopes and ideas for pilgrimage in Shetland.
Hilde Bardell, May 2026.
