2008

Friday 16th May 2008
Local Bishops Walk in the Footsteps of St Paul

Two local church leaders, 44 pilgrims, two European countries, 16 days

Next week, on Tuesday 20 May, Anglican Bishop of Newcastle, Dr Brian Farran and Catholic Bishop of Maitland-Newcastle, Michael Malone, will set off on an ecumenical pilgrimage, leading 44 members of the local Catholic and Anglican communities around some of the best known religious sites in Greece and Turkey.

According to Bishop Michael Malone, “The pilgrimage is just one of many expressions of the local Anglican and Catholic churches working together, enjoying goodwill and great friendships, and strengthening inter-church relations.”

Bishop Brian Farran said, “It’s great to be embarking on this pilgrimage together so soon after our two dioceses and the Catholic Diocese of Broken Bay signed our historic ecumenical covenant last month.”

The 16 day ecumenical pilgrimage follows the footsteps of St Paul, one of the great Apostles, whose writings are often included in Anglican and Catholic worship.

According to Bishop Michael, “Scripture scholars speculate that Paul may have stuttered and that he was small in stature – probably not all that noticeable in a crowd.”

Bishop Brian said he is looking forward to the experience of learning more about the Apostle by visiting St Paul’s homeland.

“The notion of place is fundamental to human culture and to our understanding of ourselves. I’m sure that the opportunity to visit the places which shaped Paul, to walk in his footsteps, will deepen our understanding of St Paul and his writings and ultimately our own faith.”

Bishops Michael and Brian will share their knowledge of the journeys of St Paul and his writings with pilgrims and all will have opportunities to pray together. Highlights of the pilgrimage include visits to the Parthenon in Athens, Homer’s Troy and Istanbul.

Bishop Brian said, “We’re also including a visit to the Gallipoli Peninsula and while it’s not somewhere St Paul visited, it has its own spiritual significance to Australians. I’m sure it will be special for us to experience Gallipoli together.”

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