Way of Blessed Dominic Barberi and St Edmund Arrowsmith

Way of Blessed Dominic Barberi and St Edmund Arrowsmith – 30-mile, 3-4 days

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Pilgrim Way for the Archdiocese of Liverpool from the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King in Liverpool to the Shrines of Blessed Dominic Barberi in St Helens and St Edmund Arrowsmith in Ashton-in-Makerfield.

The Way passes the Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament in central Liverpool, before reaching the waterfront. The route follows the River Mersey, then crosses the site of the Festival Gardens to reach the Church of St Charles Borromeo, St Michael’s Hamlet. The Way crosses Sefton Park and then Calderstones Botanic Garden to reach the Church of St Mary at Woolton.

The Way joins the Liverpool Loop Line path then crosses farmland by lane and track to reach the Church of St Bartholomew at Rainhill. The Way traverses rewilded former collieries to the Shrine of Blessed Dominic Barberi. From there the Way crosses town and country to the Shrine of St Edmund Arrowsmith at Ashton-in-Makerfield.

Dominic Barberi (1792–1849) was an Italian Passionist priest who played an important part in the re-emergence of Catholicism in England. He was beatified in 1963.

Edmund Arrowsmith (1585-1628) was martyred for being a priest and was canonised in 1970 as one of the Forty English Martyrs. You can view a short film about the life and example of St Edmund Arrowsmith below. Thanks to Canon John Gorman for permission to share this film.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool was established as one of thirteen new dioceses in 1850 when the Catholic hierarchy of England & Wales was re-established. It covers an area of 1,165 km² of the west of the County of Lancashire south of the Ribble River, parts of Merseyside, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, the historic Hundreds of West Derby and Leyland and the Isle of Man and parts of Yorkshire.

Official Website for PDF Download of Route Instructions & Pilgrim Passport