Southwell-educated nun reaches French town of Champlitte, near France-Switzerland border, on Francigena pilgrimage from Canterbury to the Holy Door of St Peter’s tomb in aid of the Newark Emmaus Trust

A Carmelite nun had to swap her trusty walking boots for Crocs during her 1,000 mile fundraising pilgrimage for a Newark charity due to blistered feet.

Sister Elizabeth Carr began her challenge on Ash Wednesday (March 5) to walk from Canterbury through France, Switzerland, and Italy to finish at the Holy Door of St Peter’s tomb at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome on July 16 — a total of 1,200 miles.

Sister Elizabeth, who attended Southwell’s Minster School, is taking on the challenge, known as the Francigena pilgrimage, in aid of Newark Emmaus Trust, which helps homeless young people with accommodation and support — a cause close to her heart.

The Holy Door is only open during a Holy Year, which occur every 25 years, with the last one taking place in 2000.

The Advertiser caught up with Sister Elizabeth in Champlitte, near the France-Switzerland border, around 400 miles into her challenge to see how she is getting on so far — and how her feet are coping with the trek!

“Every day has brought its little challenges,” she said, “But my feet are healing and I’m walking better than I was last week.

“I was hobbling as I had a lot of blisters and was having to wear Crocs to let them heal, but a lovely man has given me some cream to help them heal.”

Along the way, Sister Elizabeth has been staying in a number of gîtes, hostels, and places of worship to rest her weary legs, and most of the way has even been able to find a place of worship to hear mass every day barring a couple of days where her location was too remote.

“I’ve even had people offering me a lift, but I’ve had to tell them I’m supposed to walk the whole way!” she said.

Sister Elizabeth said she has also had offers of bedding and places to stay from local people she meets, and has even met other fellow pilgrims who are undertaking the same challenge as she.

“It was quite lonely during the walks when I was alone, but always nice to get to my destination for the day and receive a lovely welcome from the people there,” she said.

It has been highly publicised that Pope Francis, 88, has been ill of late, and has recently left hospital following treatment for double pneumonia.

Sister Elizabeth said she had been encouraged by recent footage of His Holiness attending light duties, and was praying that he will be well enough to open the tomb of St Peter when she arrives in Rome.

You can make a donation to Sister Elizabeth’s cause at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/elizabeth-carr-2

She has so far raised almost £3,000 for Newark Emmaus Trust, and is sending her love and prayers to everyone back home.

Newark Emmaus Trust chief executive Nikki Burley said: “We are extremely grateful to Sister Elizabeth for naming us as her charity to benefit from her pilgrimage to Rome.

“At Newark Emmaus Trust we provide supported accommodation to young homeless people and help them to become independent but we also aim to give them hope for the future and Sister Elizabeth truly understands this. We cannot thank her enough for choosing us.”