Parishioners of the Church of St Bernadette say that a special evening walk organised by the parish has helped them make new friends and bond with other churchgoers.About 290 parishioners participated in the walk on Saturday, May 26. It started at the church at about 4.30 pm.
Fr Eugene Chong, the parish priest, flagged the participants off with a prayer and a blessing.
The participants were split into smaller groups which left 10 minutes apart of each another.
The walk took them from Zion Road to Marina Bay Sands via Kim Seng Park, Clarke Quay, Parliament House, Esplanade Park and Helix Bridge, before returning to the church via One Fullerton and Cavenagh Bridge.
Mr Philip Lee, an organiser of the event, told CatholicNews the walk was part of the parish’s goal of “working towards a cohesive, co-responsible and participatory parish”.
He noted that many parishioners do not know one another well. The walk thus aimed to build fellowship and friendships, and enhance family ties as participants engaged in conversation along the way.
He added that, hopefully, participants involved in various parish ministries would be able to share their work with other parishioners and arouse the interest of those who are not serving in any ministry yet.
Ms Susan Foo, a participant, said the walk was “refreshing and a good workout”. She told CatholicNews that she was able to get to know about 10 to 12 other parishioners.
Mr Jeff Follin, who participated with his wife and two children, said the most memorable part of the walk was the camaraderie and the opportunity to meet other parishioners.
Mr Follin, a foreigner who has lived in Singapore for only a year, said the conversations he had during the walk centred on his life and background. He added that he also talked about the work of the parish’s faith formation sub-committee, which he is involved in, with other participants.
He said the walk allowed him to spend time with his wife and children and added that he hoped it would be a “regular event”.
By Darren Boon
darren.boon@catholic.org.sg
