Bishop Tim (first from left) with other members of the Holy Week trek
Fr Timothy John (Tim) Norton SVD, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Brisbane in Australia since 2022, embarked on a meaningful seven-day trek during Holy Week, culminating in his arrival in Cherbourg, northwest of Brisbane, on Easter Saturday.
Accompanying Bishop Tim on this journey were members of the Emmanuel City Mission led by its director Roby Curtis and whose primary mission is to provide care and support for the homeless and vulnerable, operating from South Brisbane.
The trek itself followed an old rail trail and a Cobb & Co route, incorporating portions of an ancient Aboriginal songline that is also called a dreaming track. It is one of the paths across the land, or sometimes the sky, that mark the route followed by localized “creator-beings” in the Dreaming.
For Bishop Tim, this pilgrimage held profound significance as the experience served as a conduit to connect with, respect, honour, and gain deeper insight into the Cherbourg community. Bishop Tim reflected on the long-standing tradition of pilgrimages, “Pilgrimage is an honoured practice that stretches back centuries in many religious traditions. When people do pilgrimages, they want to step out of themselves and experience something bigger than their own humanity. We call that an encounter with God. I have every belief that my faith will be strengthened by this journey to Cherbourg. It’s a time away and a time out from our normal rhythm. And it gives space for the Spirit to do what the Spirit does.”