Catholics from across Sheffield and beyond joined with other Christians to prayer-walk over 5,500km in their neighbourhoods this Lent. From Sacred Heart in Hillsborough, to Our Lady and St Thomas of Canterbury in Beauchief; from St Marie’s Cathedral to St Vincent’s MissionHub, more than 850 believers from over 150 different churches joined in with Arise:March 2023, a citywide prayer campaign.
Through the Arise:March Prayer app, prayer-walkers are planned and mapped prayer-walks, discovered and shared prayer needs, and prayed for requests sent in through banners displayed outside churches. Church communities such as St Marie’s organised group prayer-walks together, and others joined in with other local believers to completely cover their local streets with prayer. In total, participants shared more than 165 prayer needs through the app, and logged nearly 2,900 prayer-walks.
Candida, from St Marie’s, really enjoyed the prayer-walking challenge. “I did quite a lot of prayer-walking in my local area with my dogs; there was a real sense of shared purpose with my unknown ‘buddy’ prayer-walkers, as – between us – we managed to cover off every single street! I particularly loved prayer-walking in the snow; every cul-de-sac was a memorable adventure, and the snow seemed to give me more information about who exactly I was praying for, even though many of the streets were deserted.
“I also led small groups of parishioners out on prayer-walks around Sheffield’s City Centre. We stood outside many major businesses and public services, and prayers just tumbled out of our mouths for the staff and clients there, and the difficulties and challenges they face.
We prayer-walked around many blocks of student accommodation, praying specifically for fruitful studies, healthy relationships and good mental health. We prayer-walked twice past St Vincent’s Mission Hub, and for the new generation of disciples being formed there. And for all, we prayed that every individual would have an encounter with our Living Lord God and Saviour.
“Early fruits: it has also been a great way to get to know each other better, and to encourage one another in our own spiritual journeys. Firm friendships have been made as a result! Prayer-walking has now become a habit, and one that I hope many of us will continue with.”
Anne-Marie, from English Martyrs Chapel, added, “My favourite experience of the Arise March walk was the group hilltop walk. A good gathering of representatives from different churches in S17, gently led by Andy Patrick, met at The Cricket Inn where we prayer-walked to the top of Strawberry Hill Lane in Totley Bents. On the heights, with stunning views all around, we prayed the compass points North, South, West & East, with different voices giving praise & thanks for all that is good, and asking God in Jesus name for all that might be needed.
“I had the sense that the Holy Spirit was tangibly with us right from the outset; as soon as I had arrived at the Cricket Inn meeting point (having prayed a silent rosary prayer en-route) a couple of passers by, whom I hadn’t seen for years, approached and asked what we were doing. When I told them they immediately responded with, ‘Please pray for us, and into our home which is in that direction’. Imagine my delight when a couple of weeks later I saw them back on the pews in
church!”
In addition to the month of prayer-walking in March, Arise supports local churches to connect with their local areas during the major Christian feasts, subsidizing evangelistic Easter and Advent gifts, as well as running the Arise:Hallow campaign over All Saints and All Souls, as a positive alternative to Halloween decorations and costumes. Arise also encourages and inspires believers to live their faith more deeply through the Arise! magazine.
Find out more and join in at www.arisesheffield.org
