During Week 3, Bishop Hans Christiansen walked a Pilgrimage of Joy, which was the second part of his Pilgrimage of Hope beginning in 2025. His desire is to walk through every Anglican school in the diocese. In 2025, he walked the northern schools and this year he came south of the river.
On Day 1, a group of intrepid young Year 6s travelled to Peter Carnley Anglican Community School to begin the Pilgrimage with the bishop. There was a wonderful smoking ceremony, acknowledging the land upon which we are about to tread – the land of the Whadjuk-Noongar people. Around 120 students from John Wollaston, Peter Carnley and Frederick Irwin set out to walk to JWACS. We bade farewell to our Frederick Irwin students at Wellard Station, hopped on a train to Cockburn Station and there began the 19km walk to school.
Our Year 6s rotated through the day, so each class walked between 3-6km each. Avoiding heavy road crossings and taking in as many small parks as possible, we wound our way through Cockburn, Treeby, Harrisdale, Southern River and then eventually into Gosnells to a welcoming party at school at 4:20pm. The final hour and a half was just the Bishop and myself – as well as Mr Russell joining us with Archie for the final 4km. A curry, a seat and a long glass of water was very needed after the first day!
The Bishop slept next to the altar in our Chapel, reporting in the morning to being woken up by traffic, not by birds, which was significant in alerting him to where he was in Perth. We had some brekkie and a short Chapel service with our Year 7s and Chapel and Service Council students, before joining with the All Saints’ College students who had arrived for the long walk. Walking the 23km to All Saints’ were rotating Year 7 classes and a group of 12-15 All Saints’ students who walked the entire way. Day 2 was marked by the presence of highways – and the need to cross them – beginning with the tricky Tonkin Highway entrances and exits and then later Roe Highway navigation. We again, however, took a route to cover as many green spaces as possible, with Southernwood Creek Reserve a particular favourite. We took in Huntingdale, Canning Vale, Parkwood and Willetton, before finally arriving at All Saints’. The Bishop’s feet (and mine) needed taping that night, 40km is a very long way!
The walk was very special for our students, many of them spoke with the Bishop and he reflected that he was struck by their faith and their willingness and openness to speak about God. For the Bishop, it was a special time with young people, to hear what they care about in our world today. As a Chaplain, it was a joy to see students engaging with the task of the long walk and to see their resilience levels be tested doing something quite unfamiliar to them. Bring on another Pilgrimage – though my feet would say slightly shorter next time!
Reverend Ruth Chapman
School Chaplain
