Godwalk Spirituality and Journal

Content:

God Walk, What is it?

A journey of faith through which we proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ through our loving actions of Service to the poor, and service in places where we find the greatest need, and reverent stewardship of the Gifts of God in creation.

This is a journey through which we are urged by the Love of Christ to step outside of our daily routines and comfortable distance from our brothers and sisters to engage and serve those we would normally ignore.

This is a walk of empowerment, driving home to the pilgrim his or her ability to make a difference in the name of Christ and to take the steps necessary with his or her own two feet.

This is a journey of prayer and worship through which we enter more deeply into the paschal mystery of Christ, and come to recognize more acutely Christ’s loving presence in our brothers and sisters and in creation. And we turn away from lip service and worship God with humility and acts of mercy.

This is a walk of solidarity with those who are poorest, those whose only form of transportation are their own two feet. This is a walk of solidarity and fellowship with our brothers and sister pilgrims, in which we encourage, empower and serve each other reflecting the love of Christ to each other.

This is a journey to the heart of what it means to be church, were we strive more fully to allow Christ to shine through our actions, and we are transformed into the image of the Body of Christ, the sign of God’s love and mercy for the world.

History of God Walk Ministry

by Perrin Brady
Founder and Director

godwalk banner from 2005 San Jose Godwalk, go to journals

The God Walk Vision started when I was working at St. Athanasius Catholic Church as Youth Coordinator in the Fall of 2001. While in reflection about the Gospel reading where Jesus sends out the disciples two by two to proclaim the Kingdom of God (Luke 9:1-6, Matt. 10:5-15, Mark 6:7-13*#41; I began to ask the questions: “What is keeping todays Church from proclaiming boldly the Kingdom of God?" "What keeps us pent up in our Churches and afraid to make our faith a daily reality?” With this reflection juxtaposed to my ministry with youth, I came to the conclusion that their should be nothing holding us back from taking the Love of God to the streets.

This is also reflective of my style of youth ministry which centers a great deal on youth empowerment. Believing very strongly that ‘they rise to the mark you set,’ I sought ways to give back to youth much of what is kept from them by modern society out of fear and lack of faith. I believed firmly that youth have so much to offer both to the Church and to our society, if they are only given the opportunity to put their gifts to work in meaningful ways to make a difference in their lives and the lives of others. The God Walk experience began to take root in my thinking as a powerful way to give the young church the faith and personal confidence it deserves.

I shared this vision with my youth core group and other youth ministers, especially Caryn Brady (then Youth Coordinator from St. Thomas Aquinas in Palo Alto, and also my Mother) and her core team. Together we developed the idea and began the planning for the first God Walk: God Walk 2002.

Starting humbly we set out on a two day God Walk from St. Athanasius Church in Mountain View to St. Justin's Catholic Church in Santa Clara, staying overnight at Resurrection in Sunnyvale. The first God Walk boasted five or so participants and one support driver. On the first day we worked at the St. Josephs the Worker Center in Mountain View. We helped them re-paint their parking lot lines which were in disrepair, and they fed us a great lunch of Mole Chicken. Those with some Spanish skills tested their broken Spanish by socializing with the workers there who were very accommodating to our limited knowledge.

The next day we spent helping out at food pantries at both St. Joseph of Cupertino and at our final destination down at St. Justin's Parish in Santa Clara. We there ended with a prayer service and reflection on our experience and how we can take the message of service and God's love back home with us to our daily lives.

After completing one humble yet successful God Walk we made big plans for the next year. We were working closer and closer to the full vision of the main God Walk event. We set out to cover the entire distance between two California Missions. For this we chose Santa Cruz Mission and Carmel Mission, which were at both ends of the Monterey Bay. This also provided a cooler walk during the summer months as it is near the ocean.

We began contacting churches in the area, and following contacts to service projects. We divided up the days between Day Planners, so that all would have a significant role in the planning. Slowly the God Walk 2003 began to take shape and before we know it we were walking down the cost of the Monterey Bay with a group of about seventeen (give or take, as many had to leave during the walk). This was an extended God Walk from the last years God Walk spanning six days, starting on a Tuesday and ending on a Sunday. This was a great experience and one that we will never forget. Our services included places like St. Francis Soup Kitchen in Santa Cruz, Golden Age Convalescent Home in Capitola, Cleaning a Park in Watsonville, Dorothy’s Place in Salinas, and more. We were given lodging and hospitality by First Assemblies of God in Castroville, United Christian Center next to Dorothy’s Place, as well as camping for a few of the nights. This God Walk also ended at the Christian Music Festival at Laguna Seca Race Ways : “Spirit West Coast”. One problem we found is that we overestimated the amount a God Walk group could walk in one day while also doing service projects. But overall this was a great experience and showed us how much was possible with a little bit of planning and a lot of will to serve.

The Next Year we expanded the God Walk seemingly to it's limits. We planned for an eight day God Walk also in the Monterey Bay (Mission Santa Cruz to Mission Carmel). The idea behind this was that we would have more days by which to divide up the walk, making it easier to make them all without having to shuttle people in the support vehicles. It also provided an important symbolic and liturgical significance: we were being sent forth from the Sunday Liturgy at Mission Santa Cruz with a blessing to spread the Gospel through our God Walk experience, and a the end we were being sent forth again from Sunday Liturgy at Mission Carmel to spread the Gospel into our lives. Thus, the small God Walk 2003 prepared the participants to embark more deeply on their larger God Walks of their lives, living a commitment to service and justice in their own communities. It also highlighted the concept that the Eucharist is the "Source and Summit of the Christian Life."

For God Walk 2004 we worked more closely with the Diocese of Monterey in planning and providing lodging in the churches of the Diocese. This was an added blessing and prepared us for working even more closely with the parishes of the Monterey Diocese for the God Walk 2005. Highlights of God Walk 2005 included visiting new service projects, spending one entire day walking the beaches of the Monterey Bay and cleaning up trash (over an eight-mile stretch), and the great hospitality that the Parish Communities provided for u s in lodging as well a food in some cases.

Also a great highlight for the God Walk 2004 was the beginning and ending Liturgies at the Missions where we received a formal Blessing of ‘Missionary Pilgrims’ and our Pilgrim Cross. The blessing of Missionary Pilgrims was adapted by Perrin Brady from the two blessings of Missionaries and that of Pilgrims for a Liturgical Setting. These are found in the ‘Book of Blessings’ from the NCCCB). These blessings gave us a great feeling of empowerment as we were being sent by the community as their representatives to spread God’s love and service throughout the community.

This year was the first year that we Carried our Pilgrim Cross as a sign of our solidarity with those who suffer in this world, and as a means to prayer and continued reflection on the significance of our walk. Surprisingly to us this became an ice breaker for many people who came up to us asking what we were doing carrying this big cross. We received a lot of encouragement on the journey and gathered over 230 signatures on our pilgrim cross from people we meat and people we served. Our walking with the cross was cause for a few people to come and open up their hearts to us, telling us of their stories of battling with personal struggles with truth and with suffering in their lives and encouraging us to continue on the journey and ensuring us that their prayers were with us... as we believe they still are. Read and see more in our journals.

In 2005 and 2006 we moved Godwalk back to the Diocese of San Jose. God Walk San Jose was a smaller three day God Walk in which we walked from St. Martin of Tours in northern San Jose down to Emergency Housing Consortium, and then back to St. Martins. Here are some Highlights: We started the experience with an evening Seder Supper on Friday April 28th. This tied the tradition of liberation and journey very closely with the God Walk experience. We celebrate a God who as liberated us, and we are freed from this celebration to journey toward our promised land. On Saturday April 29th we received a blessing at St. Martins and then walked to Luther Burbank School to co-staff their Cinco De Mayo/Literacy Festival. This was great fun and a wonderful community building experience. We then walked to the cathedral in San Jose, then walked to and stayed overnight at The Emergency Housing Consortium off of Little Orchard in San Jose. This was a formative experience for many, opening our eyes to the reality of homelessness in San Jose and breaking down many of the unknown assumptions we have toward the homeless. Sunday May 1st we visited Bellerose Convalescent Hospital were we entertained with songs and skits as well as making the residents there colored tissue paper ‘may flowers’ for May Day. This was a touching experience for many as we enjoyed each other’s company as well as contemplated the real loneliness that many who l ive in convalescent care experience. They are in great need for community and healing interactions with the outside world who largely ignore their existence.

God Walk 2005 took a similar route, beginning at St. Martin of Tours cooking and then serving a meal for a homeless shelter, serving at Bellarose Nursing Home and more.

[ed. note] In 2006 Perrin, after having completed his theological degree at Santa Clara University, took a job as Regional Co-director of the Vincentian Marian Youth Western Region, with in addition to its other activities, is now sponsoring his vision of Godwalk for the summer 2007 walk in yet another 2 dioceses, beginning in Oakland and ending in San Francisco. That will bring the Godwalk History up to 4 diocese in Nothern California. Please see the information page for more details on this year's Godwalk.

Godwalk VMY 2007 is in its planning and preparation stage. Keep us in your prayers, and if you have something to offer or would like to participate please don’t hesitate to contact us!

As the history of God Walk ministries unfolds, this account of its history will be added to, edited and revised to reflect new developments and major changes in the scope of God Walk Ministries.