If you happen to go into St Mary’s Church on the evening of Palm Sunday, you may be surprised to see a human-sized cross, lying in the centre of the church before the holy table, lit only by the flickering of tiny prayer candles. Brought each year by the Pilgrims of the Student Cross, the cross will remain there all night. They arrive with the cross in Woodbridge by boat, and are met by St Mary’s choir on Quayside. Processing up Quay Street and Church Street, singing Easter hymns, the pilgrims carry their heavy wooden cross into the church. After a time of quiet prayer, we offer them supper and a bed overnight, before they continue their journey on foot to Walsingham. This takes place each year, and is the Essex leg of the nationwide Student Cross Pilgrimage. To find out more, take a look at www.studentcross.org.uk.

If you’d like to join in, just wait on Quayside at 5.50 pm on Palm Sunday (5 April) and join the procession up to St Mary’s Church.