Ecumenical Good Friday Walk of Witness in Birmingham

The Lord Mayor of Birmingham joined Archbishop Vincent Nichols and Bishop David Urquhart, the Anglican Bishop of Birmingham, during an Ecumenical Walk of Witness through the streets of central Birmingham on Good Friday, 21 March, writes Peter Jennings. The Archbishop of Birmingham welcomed Christians from churches throughout the city and said a prayer before the Walk of Witness left St Michael's Catholic Church, situated near to the Birmingham Bull Ring shopping centre. Volunteers took it in turn to carry a large wooden cross through the streets on a cold, blustery morning. The Walk of Witness, organised by the Dean of St Chad's Cathedral, Canon Patrick Browne, made its way to Birmingham Council House, where the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Randal Brew, joined. He said a prayer for leaders in national and local government by the statue of Queen Victoria in the square named after her. The Walk of Witness continued to the eighteenth-century St Philip's Anglican Cathedral situated in the centre of Birmingham, where the Dean, Canon Bob Wilkes, joined Birmingham Bishop Urquhart, who led a prayer and read from St Paul's Letter to the Philippians (2 v 5-11): " He became obedient unto death, even death on a Cross." The last stop was St Chad's Cathedral, where the Walk of Witness ended with Stations of the Cross. Archbishop Nichols and Bishop Urquhart took it in turns to lead the meditations. Afterwards, Archbishop Nichols said: "We hope that this Ecumenical Good Friday Walk of Witness will now become an annual event in the life of the City of Birmingham." The Archbishop of Birmingham added: "Faith has its important part to play in the life of the city. Our act of witness today strengthens the call to faith in God to all people. May God bless this City of Birmingham."