More than 150 people joined the traditional Good Friday Ecumenical Walk in Beach Haven and Birkdale in 2026.

In imitation of the beginning of Matthew’s account of the Passion of Jesus, we began by gathering in the Cedar Centre’s Community Garden. Standing between vegetable plants and herbs in the Anglican Community Garden gave us a glimpse into an initiative to reach out to people in a practical way. The Rev. Daniel Sahayam greeted the participants and gave a reflection on the betrayal of Jesus.

Following the cross bearer, the participants started their walk from the Cedar Centre towards the Catholic Church where members of the community and Fr Mathew Vadakkevettuvazhiyil greeted the group and motivated the people to continue to connect with each other.

For those who were not able to walk, a bus was available, driven by a member of the Catholic community. The Catholics also provided the team of traffic wardens who made sure that the huge group could safely cross the road and that the impact on the traffic was limited.
Some drivers who passed by were looking at the large group with astonishment, others with a sense of curiosity, but none of the drivers complained for having to wait at pedestrian crossings longer than usual. Some drivers even smiled and waved towards the group.

The youngest participants were toddlers, and the oldest participants would have been in their 80s. It was great to see how people were looking for different walking partners after each station. So, they ended up meeting many people from a variety of churches. It also felt like an ethnic snapshot through Auckland: Pasifika, Indians, Europeans, Americans, Latinos, Africans, Filipinos and many others.

The Coptic Christians don’t follow the Gregorian Calendar and have their Good Friday one week later, but they opened their church for the participants of the Walk and provided them with water for the second part of the journey.
The atmosphere in the Coptic Church was very special. The participants of the Walk were invited to sit among their members who were reciting prayers in English and in Arabic. All senses were touched: the chanting for the ears, the incense for the smell and the icons for the eyes…

The procession stopped four times on Birkdale Road. The first stop was at the Birkdale Bible Chapel where members of that community led us into prayer and reflection. We then stopped at Birkdale Intermediate School where another church led us in prayer and reflections.
The Latin American Baptist community led us in prayer and reflection outside Birkdale Community House before we reached the Birkenhead Baptist Church. There, Rev Rob Markley read the Gospel story of the stone being rolled in front of Jesus’ tomb.

After more than two hours of walking in the sun, the people were grateful for the hot cross buns and the tea and coffee served by the Baptist Community.

There was a buzzing in the room, and seeds for new friendships were sown. Many participants have been actively involved in this Ecumenical Walk for years. One person asked if there could be more Ecumenical events like this in the area…

“We believe that the unity Christ wills for his Church must be visible,
and that such unity grows through theological dialogue, common worship where possible,
and shared witness in the face of humanity’s suffering.”
Pope Leo XIV

BM