Virtual Pilgrimage

A Pathway to Spiritual Renewal for Frontline Volunteers in Ottawa's Shepherds of Good Hope
Walking practices are experiencing a revival in the post-millennial world. Chief among these is the discipline of pilgrimage. The purpose of this research was to explore the pilgrimage trope as a pathway to spiritual renewal for Ottawa’s Shepherds of Good Hope (SGH) volunteers. A form of substitute pilgrimage identified as ‘virtual pilgrimage’ was adapted to simulate the last 100 km of the Camino de Santiago trail. A purposive random sample of twelve SGH volunteers (six men and six women) walked the distance virtually, over a period of six weeks. Each week, the participants were given a reflection question to focus their walks and their journal accounts. The research methodology was configured around Richard Osmer’s four-task cycle for practical theological research. The data was collected by way of a questionnaire, a focus group, and the participants’ journal accounts. NVIVO software was used to analyze the data, and Stephen Bevans’ “Praxis Model” was used to interpret the results. Virtual pilgrimage encompasses many of the themes associated with the traditional distance pilgrimage, including suspension of regular routines, intentionality, experiences of blessedness and beauty, and encounters with sacred mystery that inspired social action. The results showed that virtual pilgrimage contains the same facility for spiritual renewal as the traditional, distance pilgrimage, with potential wide-ranging applications in the health, human, and social services fields.

UK Delivery:

• Free delivery on all orders of £10 or more.
• £1.49 delivery fee on orders below £10.
• UK orders are shipped via Royal Mail 2nd Class.

International Delivery:

• Flat rate delivery charges vary by country.

Dispatch and Delivery Times:

• All orders are shipped from our warehouse in Northampton, UK within 48 hours of receipt during working hours.
• UK mainland orders typically arrive within 3-5 working days via Royal Mail 2nd Class.
• International estimated delivery times:
• Europe & Channel Islands: 7 to 10 working days
• USA: 7 to 15 working days
• Rest of the World: 9 to 21 working days

View our full delivery infomation here.