Each year, scholars of pilgrimage and faith-based tourism, as well as practitioners, gather for an annual conference. This prestigious gathering was held at Fort St Elmo, Malta, from 4-7 July. Our host was from the of the University of Malta. Dr Munro is a long-time participant in Sacred Journeys and a member of the Sacred Journeys editorial board.
With thirty delegates from over ten countries, SJ10 was described by the conference co-organiser, Dr Ian McIntosh from Indiana University, as the very best conference to date. The rich variety of papers included those on the very origins of pilgrimage, ancient pilgrimage linked to the search for immortality, pilgrimage and literature, pilgrimage and human rights, and walking and justice in Canada, among many others. The Sacred Journeys project, which began at Mansfield College, Oxford in 2014, attracts people from across the religious spectrum, regularly featuring speakers from all the world’s major religious traditions, as well as the Indigenous realm. Six books have been generated by this conference to date, most recently, ‘Women and Pilgrimage’ and ‘Walking to Peace, Walking for Change.’ In addition, there have been four journal special issues in the International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage and Religions (Open Access) and other relevant publications.
Conference delegates were delighted to participate in a pilgrimage of their own during their visit to Malta as a sacred island. As part of the program, Dr. Munro arranged a field trip to the Neolithic Temples at Hagar Qim and Mnajdra. A visit to Kirkop was also included, to witness how the feast was being set up in the streets. Further to Rabat to visit St Paul’s Grotto with a visit to the ancient Grotto of the Apostle. After this, we took a boat ride to St Paul’s Island, the scene of the shipwreck of St Paul in 60CE while he was on his way to Rome to face trial. Delegates were moved to both hear the stories of the saint’s life and to be at the place where he conducted his mission, for this is one of the few places outside of the Holy Land and Rome that one can experience first hand the stories of the Bible.
More details on the Sacred Journeys project can be found .
