Bishop John’s third Holy Week parish-to-parish pilgrimage
Local
Bishop John Roundhill is embarking on his third biblical-worthy parish-to-parish pilgrimage on Palm Sunday, covering over 120km in seven days across our Diocese’s Southern Region with a fitting shepherd’s crook in hand – and he’s inviting you to join him
Bishop John Roundhill is embarking on his third biblical-worthy parish-to-parish pilgrimage on Palm Sunday, covering over 120km in seven days across our Diocese’s Southern Region with a fitting shepherd’s crook in hand.
This will be Bishop John’s third “Walking the Walk” Holy Week pilgrimage, following his 2019 and 2021 journeys, after the 2020 and 2022 walks were abandoned because of COVID-19 or injury.
Bishop John said that walking with people on pilgrimage helps build community.
“We are living in an increasingly fractured society and walking together allows for differences to be aired in a less confrontational way,” Bishop John said.
“Walking in groups allows for conversations to come and go at ease – because people chatting can always walk more slowly – and so community builds naturally.
“For me, walking and talking are two of the simplest pleasures in life and I love chatting with people as we walk together.
“I believe that great conversations come from a shared activity and who knows what solutions or ideas we might come up with when we’re on the road together?”
The pilgrimage itinerary involves walking up to 20km daily, which Bishop John said has its challenges.
“In 2021, I started walking on Palm Sunday, but an unexpected COVID-19 lockdown was announced the following morning, so it was an intense couple of hours working out how to return to Brisbane without a car,” he said.
“We were in lockdown for just a few days, until Good Friday.
“What only a few others knew at the time is that I had a severe blister, so the lockdown enabled my foot to recover.
“By the time Friday came, I was able to walk the final days with joy.
“Walking as we emerged from lockdown was just precious, and the conversations that day were seen as a real blessing by all.”
Bishop John said he welcomes people to join him on his walk, for whatever distance they would like to travel.
This year’s pilgrimage will start at The Parish of Robina on Palm Sunday on 2 April with morning worship and end at St Gabriel’s, Carindale on Holy Saturday on 8 April.
Pilgrimages are an ancient Christian tradition, with early church theologian and ascetic Origen of Alexandria one of the first to comprehend and communicate the concept of the Church as a “pilgrim people”.
The first Christian pilgrimages were made in early times to places connected with Jesus’ life, especially to the sites of his crucifixion and resurrection.
So Holy Week is an especially fitting period to take time out for this ancient spiritual practice.
In encouraging community members to join him on the walk, or to pray for him and his fellow pilgrims, Bishop John said that he also invites people to reflect on Jesus’ walking journeys.
“Holy Week is a time for deep reflection on Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross,” he said.
“The annual week in the lead up to Easter Day commemorates events from Jesus’ life 2,000 years ago, and there is much walking in those stories.
“Some of life’s biggest themes – love, betrayal, death – are in front of us in the Holy Week Bible readings.
“I find that I encounter God in a different way when I am truly engaged in a simple physical activity, and I hope that this walk is transformative for me and all those who join me.”
To find out more about Bishop John Roundhill’s planned route so you know where to be and at what time to join him (or to welcome him and fellow pilgrims upon arrival at your parish), you can read about “Walking the Walk 2023” on his blog.
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