Braving bad weather for walk of witness

They took part in the annual Walk of Witness on Good Friday to remember the day when Jesus was tortured and executed on the cross.

Extremely wet conditions meant plans by the town's Churches Together group to hold the walk's usual short open-air service in the London Road precinct were abandoned.

The wooden cross was instead carried from Bognor Regis Methodist Church in Waterloo Square along the High Street to Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Clarence Road.

It was borne by the Rev John Gordon, vice-chairman of Churches Together and the town's United Reformed Church minister, along with Lois Brown, a member of the L'Arche community in Bognor and worshipper at St Wilfrid's Church in Bognor, and another L'Arche community member.

Mr Gordon said: "It was encouraging to see a large number of Christians walking behind a wooden cross as they remembered the last journey that Jesus made.

"Jesus was executed because he challenged the powerful political and religious establishment.

"The world thought it could silence Jesus forever on the cross.

"Instead, the cross shows the whole of humanity that death cannot overcome life."

The walk of witness started with an introduction in the methodist church by its minister, the Rev Gavin Hancock.

On arriving at Our Lady of Sorrows, parish priest Father Tony Churchill introduced the continuous Act of Worship.

He used his homily to remind the worshippers of the importance of walking the way of the cross.

The congregation sung the great Isaac Watts' hymn, When I survey the wondrous cross, before St Thomas a'Becket Church member Ruth Webb read a further scripture of the passion.

The service ended with prayers in which Mr Gordon prayed for those caught up in suffering anywhere in the world.

Hot cross buns and hot drinks were served in the parish centre to end the occasion.

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