A NEW exhibition focussing on pilgrimage past and present has been officially opened by the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu.

The “Tourist, Traveller, Pilgrim?”exhibition in York Minster’s Undercroft Museum explores the experience of pilgrimage, the impact it has on people’s lives and the powerful self-transformation it can bring about.

Visitors will be encouraged to pick up a Pilgrim Passport which will guide them through the exhibition and help them to understand and interpret the objects on display.

The idea for the exhibition came from the Minster’s staff and volunteers who wanted to highlight the resting place of St William whose tomb in the Minster’s crypt was the focus for thousands of pilgrims in medieval times.

The Archbishop met members of the curatorial team who explained the key elements of the exhibition including eye-witness accounts of pilgrims through the ages, items used by travellers and precious objects from the Minster Collection including the Mazer bowl.

Dr Sentamu said: “Pilgrimage is undergoing a wonderful revival in this country with increasing numbers of people, at various stages in their own journeys of faith, taking some time out to discover those ancient Christian routes and to be open to the experiences and people they encounter along the way.

“This exhibition tells the story of pilgrimage and asks visitors to think about the many different journeys they take through their own lives and how they can connect those journeys to something much greater than themselves.”