Pilgrimage Walk
of Hope
The Rt Revd Hans Christiansen, Assistant Bishop
In conjunction with Hope25, The Revd Dr Eleanor O’Donnell and I recently undertook a 116 km Pilgrimage Walk for Hope in the Diocese. Setting out with a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony at St James Anglican School, Alkimos, we walked over five days with over 450 students, approximately 100 school staff members and many parishioners, priests and community leaders.
On our intentional Walk for Hope we visited nine schools and two parishes, finishing Friday evening in the Cathedral with a combined schools Eucharist.
Day 1 - Monday 5 May
St James Anglican School - Peter Moyes Anglican Community School
Day 2 - Tuesday 6 May
Peter Moyes Anglican Community School - St Mark’s Anglican Community School
Day 3 - Wednesday 7 May
St Mark’s Anglican Community School - St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School - Hale School
Day 4 - Thursday 8 May
Hale School - John Septimus Roe Anglican Community School - Guildford Grammar School
Day 5 - Friday 9 May
Guildford Grammar School - Perth College - St George’s Anglican Grammar School - St George’s Cathedral
Along the way we received incredible hospitality from each school and parish we visited. We slept in the chapels on the floor. We broke bread with students, staff, chaplains and principals. We celebrated the Eucharist with parishioners in the two parishes we visited. At every school we were given opportunities to speak about Christian hope and listen to students and staff about what hope means for them.
Walking side by side with so many people from our Anglican schools and wider Anglican community and listening to them gave us much hope. Seeing school students and staff from different schools walk together and worship together was a visible sign to us and the community of our shared Anglican identity and belonging.
Being part of creating a hope-filled future was a central part of our message along the way. For that reason, we chose to fundraise for the Anglicare WA Sleepout and Trillion Trees. So far, we have raised $2,500 which is wonderful. We would love to see more funds raised so we can help homeless youth in our city and so we can help plant more trees to offset carbon emissions and we would be grateful if you choose to donate to the cause (details including QR Code and a link to the GoFundMe page can be found below).
On behalf of Eleanor O’Donnell, we send our thanks to all the people who participated in this journey of hope. Thank you especially to our fabulous schools and principals who helped make this journey the success it was.
Later this year we will be Walking for Hope in Esperance with the local Anglican School and parish, and we are currently planning a Pilgrimage in 2026 with the Anglican Schools South of the River, and the schools along the river which were not included this year, as well as our school in the Swan Valley.
Blessings
+Hans
Many thanks to the schools that have shared their images from the Walk. More images and other media can be viewed on the schools' social media pages.