Jo Coleman joined this year's 45 people on the tour - representing many different faiths such as Bah’ai, Buddhist, Christian, Christian Scientists, Hindu, Quaker and Ravidassia. They visited three different religious establishments all within walking distance of Bedford Railway station. The aim of the Pilgrimage was explained to by Rev Jay Macleod, of All Saints Church in Queens Park and Interfaith adviser to the Bishop of St Albans: “We are here to learn a bit about the places visited and learn from each other as we walk.” There was a good feeling on the night and as George Chaplin, secretary of Bedford Council of Faiths, pointed out: “It certainly seems to meet a need. There is greater attendance at these Pilgrimages than at any of our other well-attended meetings - that gives us heart!” The first stop on our pilgrimage was Bedford Jame Mosque on Brereton Road. It is quite a plain brick building, a former warehouse that has been extended and converted. Headscarves Everyone took their shoes off and the ladies donned their headscarves. The Secretary of the Mosque welcomed us and introduced us to a couple of “Brothers” who led us round and explained a few things. There are no chairs or pews here, just carpets patterned with rows of a prayer mat design, so the worshippers can kneel and then prostrate in the direction of Mecca, routinely five times a day. There is no altar or shrine upon which to focus the attention otherwise. Worship is conducted in Arabic and we were introduced to the Imam, who had studied the Qur’an for 18 years in Bangladesh. Following prayers the worshippers do the “Salam” or “peace”, when they stand and look to the right and then the left, acknowledging their neighbours and also their angels – the angel on their right shoulder records the good deeds, the angel on the left the bad. Worshippers can also use prayer beads. There are three sets of 33 beads plus one larger bead on one string. Muslims repeat three different prayers 33 times. We were able to watch another Brother sing some verses of the Qur’an to a class of boys and learnt that though girls are taught Arabic there too, they are segregated into separate classes. There are no women formally involved in the running of the Mosque – the main body and volunteers are all male – selection of which occurs at a General Meeting every two years. Our next stop was the Italian Church around the corner, no dress code in place this time. Father John welcomed us to the Church of St Francesca Cabrini on Woburn Road. Dressed altar As we walked down the aisle in between rows of wooden pews, our attention was drawn to the beautifully dressed altar, surrounded by flower arrangements with several lit candles, one of which was in commemoration of the late Pope John Paul II and the ensuing conclave. The altar stands beneath an eye-catching sculpture of the Risen Christ and to the right is an ornate tabernacle in which the Holy Sacrament (bread and wine) is kept.
 | | Entering the catholic church |
Father John, or Don Giovanni, explained that the church had been established to look after the Italian migrant workers and that there remains a flourishing cultural community. He conducts his services in English as well as in Italian these days, because some of the younger congregation don’t speak Italian. Services are held every evening and four on Sundays. The Catholics too have beads or a rosary as an aid for devotional prayer to Mary and the Blessed Trinity. Pilgrims on our tour were interested to learn that no women are ordained in the Roman Catholic Church - Father John put this tradition down to how Jesus set the example in choosing his disciples. But unlike at the Mosque, women do play a bigger role in the running of the church they can teach catechism serve at the altar and take the sacrament out to any members of the congregation who can’t get to Mass due to ill health. There are Nuns too, dedicating their lives to the Catholic Church but the ones who used to be based here in Bedford have moved to Peterborough. Women have become Saints too - people through whom God’s miracles are performed, beatified by the Pope. There are many statues of patron Saints lining the Church – representing the different towns from which the migrants have come. Our last stop was the Sri Guru Ravidass Bhawan – a temple on The Lane off Ashburnham Road. This was originally a Territorial Army building then the Royal Mail Sorting Office. Off came our shoes again and everyone had to wear a headscarf. We received a very warm, if hesitant welcome. It was their first time hosting so many strangers of different faiths. There was no furniture in the large carpeted room but a large gold trimmed shrine stood centre stage, surrounded by flashing lights, bearing a couple of brightly coloured paintings of the Guru, and cushioning the Holy Book. Our hosts did not speak much English and their services are conducted in their native tongue. They are Ravidassia from India, still bearing the burden of centuries of being downtrodden as the “untouchables” within the Caste system. Overcoming hurdles They are striving to overcome the barriers and to make progress socially, even here in Bedford. The General Secretary was keen to stress both their financial independence and their commitment to community involvement in Bedford.
 | | At Sri Guru Ravidass Bhawan |
The Community self-funded the redevelopment of the building, which is not only a place of worship but also a meeting place with time set aside for Bangladeshi youngsters to hang out together and also for community development work such as English and computing courses. Priests read from the Holy Book and at night, tuck it snugly into bed– literally. There’s an ornate golden cubicle in the corner of the room, with pink lace curtains, called the “Heavenly Vault”. Inside there’s a “Princess and the Pea bed”, with layers and layers of smooth sheets, warm blankets and shiny quilts. We arrived too late to catch evening prayer and so missed meeting the rest of the community, but we were assured that the ladies were downstairs preparing a meal for us. Indeed we were served with a delicious, hot curry and naan in their canteen – making for a sociable and tasty end an enjoyable Pilgrimage. As our hosts reminded us “It is a very good step to live together in a multicultural society.” Those wishing to join Bedford Council of Faiths can phone George Chaplin, Secretary on 01480 212 931. | 
