Covid: St Albans pilgrimage returns to historic route

After some years in the city centre, the route has been changed and will go through Verulamium Park on Sunday

A procession celebrating a city's namesake saint is returning to "welcome people back" to its abbey.

Cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic, St Albans Cathedral's Alban Pilgrimage includes 12ft (3.6m) puppets that tell the story of Britain's first saint.

The parade returns to its traditional route on Sunday through the site of Roman Verulamium to allow for "greater distancing".

A spokesman said it would be "wonderful to welcome back pilgrims and friends".

Canon Chancellor, the Reverend Dr Kevin Walton, said during the pandemic the cathedral had "open doors as far as possible and it has been a relief for people"

Alban was a citizen of Verulamium, the third-largest city in Roman Britain, who died for his faith in about AD300 close to the spot where St Albans Cathedral now stands, after giving shelter to a Christian priest.

The Alban Pilgrimage, with huge puppets representing key figures in his story, usually takes place every year on the weekend closest to his feast day of 22 June.

The story of St Alban and Amphibalus

The cathedral is on the site of the execution and burial of St Alban

• In the early 3rd Century in the Roman city of Verulamium, Alban gave shelter to Amphibalus, a stranger and Christian priest fleeing persecution

• Alban was inspired by how important faith was to the priest and asked to be taught more about Christianity

• When the Roman authorities caught up with Amphibalus, Alban exchanged clothes with Amphibalus and was arrested instead, allowing the priest to escape

• Alban refused to renounce his new-found beliefs and the magistrate ordered he should receive the punishment intended for the escaped priest

• Alban was beheaded on the spot where the cathedral now stands

Source: St Albans Cathedral

The procession will set off from St Michael's Church - thought to be built on the site of the Roman basilica where Alban was probably tried - and move to the cathedral, accompanied by people dressed as Roman soldiers, lions, angels and new for 2021, an elephant.

A series of services will take place in the cathedral throughout the day.

The celebration was put back a week so organisers could see if Covid-19 restrictions would be eased on 21 June, but it was planned to take into account that some might still be in place.

Organiser, the Reverend Dr Kevin Walton, cathedral Canon Chancellor, said the route chosen was believed to be that taken by Alban and the event also allowed for greater social distancing.

"It marks the beginning of a summer of events for us and there's also a sense of welcoming people back - but in a way that is still alert to the situation," he said.

"It will be wonderful to welcome back pilgrims and friends for this celebration of our city's patron and Britain's first saint."

The story of Alban's martyrdom is told using giant puppets

The cathedral said that this year it could "celebrate public and openly"