Bishop completes long trek in the footsteps of St Chad
A bishop has completed a trek in the name of his ancient predecessor.
Rev Dr Michael Ipgrave – the current Bishop of Lichfield – spent more than three weeks walking across the diocese to visit churches which carry the name of St Chad across Staffordshire, Shropshire and the Black Country.
The bishop visited 27 churches in total after starting at St Chad’s Well in Lichfield on August 7, holding a small service of prayer at each church in line with safety guidance on public worship due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that continues to grip the world.
Bishop Ipgrave completed his walk on August 29 by arriving at Lichfield Cathedral, the seat of St Chad, and spoke about the significance of his walk and why he decided to undertake it.
He said: “At all the places my companions and I visited on our pilgrimage in the footsteps of St Chad, we received a warm welcome.
“We could sense the joy that churches felt as they reassembled as the people of God, and their desire to reconnect with those from whom they had been separated.
“As we emerge from a time of isolation, separation and sadness, now – more than ever – we need to do in our own time what Chad did in his age.
“This includes crossing the boundaries that divide us, greeting one another in friendship and respect, and sharing the hope and joy that God gives us in Jesus Christ.
“Just as we experienced some extremes of weather en-route, and at times the roads seemed hard, long and constantly uphill, so I know that we will face many challenges in the months to come,” Bishop Ipgrave added.
“However this pilgrimage has strengthened my belief that, supporting one another in prayer, by God’s grace we can walk together into the newness of life which is promised for us all.”
