Bishop Rob’s Prayer Pilgrimage

This past Thursday, 9 March 2023, Bishop Rob, the Bishop of Edmonton, held his prayer pilgrimage through Barnet Deanery. Fr Robin, Catherine and Jean joined him and a number of people from across the Barnet Deanery for lunch at St Barnabas, North Finchley, the home of Hope Cafe.

The Bishop had started his pilgrimage in Monken Hadley and had already visited the Wren Academy, Whetstone and the North London Business Park. After lunch we walked down and caught the bus from North Finchley Bus station by the Arts Depot.

As we rode the bus down to Golders Green we passed through the parishes of St Paul’s and St Mary’s in Finchley, and the parish of St Jude’s on the suburb. We got out at Golders Green and met with The Revd Kamran Bhatti from Golders Green Parish Church and prayed with a number of the folk from our neighbouring church before heading over the boundary near Golders Hill Park.

We prayed as we passed through Child’s Hill Park, and into the Granville Road Development – thinking of the impact of developments across Barnet. We then visited All Saints School where a kind of ‘guard of honour’ lined the playground. Bishop Rob spoke with each class and explained what he was doing before praying and blessing the students.

We left the playground into the Memorial Garden and paused by the Covid Memorial before heading to the Hendon way where Bishop Rob along with the Area Dean, The Revd Julie Gittoes, and The Revd Andrew Kwapong, the curate from St Mary’s at Hendon, caught the 113 North to Hendon.