AGM & Reunion 2025

Join us for two FREE days of networking, learning, and collaboration. 

The theme this year is Pilgrimage.

Do you welcome walkers and ramblers, occasional worshippers who stop by to think and pray, or open your church for casual visitors? Have you ever wondered how to enhance your welcome, or ensure the tourists who arrive at your church or sacred space leave as pilgrims? Might pilgrimage be a way to reach out or deepen the discipleship of your congregation? And what defines a pilgrimage anyway?

The event on Friday 10 October 2025 begins at 2pm with refreshments and registration at the Shrine of Saint Jude Welcome Centre, followed at 2:30pm by a welcome from the Chair. At 2:45pm, Matt Betts, Development Manager of the National Shrine of Saint Jude, will lead a tour of the Shrine and Carmelite Church, concluding with a walk to the Almshouses and Parish Church. Attendees will then check in to their hotels at 5pm and gather for an evening meal at 6:30pm at the Sun Inn in Faversham. A small donation will be sent to each visited place after the weekend, with a separate collection on the day to support this.

On Saturday 11 October 2025, the programme resumes at the Shrine of Saint Jude Welcome Centre with teas and coffees from 9:30am, followed at 10am by a welcome from Richard Tulloch, CVTA Chair. The morning includes presentations from Andrew Kelly on attracting pilgrims to your church, and from Brendan and Joanna Roche on the significance of pilgrimage to Lourdes and the value of bringing the lessons learned back to parishes, dioceses, homes, and friendship groups. After a tea break and discussion from 10:50–11:15am, Dr Matt Valler will present on guiding pilgrims on alternative pilgrimages, followed by group discussions at 12:30 pm. Lunch is served at 1pm, after which Ms Rosie Bradshaw will speak on iconography at 1:45pm, and Bishop Paul Hendricks of the Southwark Archdiocese will address the gathering at 2:30pm, with subsequent group discussions at 2:50pm. The afternoon concludes with the AGM at 3:15pm, a closing prayer from Br. Paul de Groot, O.Carm, Chaplain of the Shrine of Saint Jude, at 3:30pm, and the official close with tea and coffee at 4:00pm.

Venue

This year’s reunion, AGM and conference is being hosted by the Carmelite Shrine of Saint Jude in Faversham (34 Tanners Street, ME13 7JW) - a proud member of the CVTA for over 10 years.

All are welcome to come to both days or one of the days - please just let us know.

Lunch provision

The event is FREE, but we do need to cover the cost of Saturday lunch and other small expenses so we suggest a donation of £12 per person to attend either (or both) of the two days which will go towards the cost of the event during the two days. Please bring cash which you can pay on arrival.

This is an event where you can connect with fellow church representatives, tourism professionals, and others to share insights and best practice. Don't miss this opportunity to be a part of shaping the future of church tourism.

Everyone from any church or chapel, or an organisation working with them is very welcome.