THE Bishop of Durham put his best foot forward this morning (Thursday, May 21) as he set off on his second prayer walk in a fortnight.

The Right Reverend Paul Butler has pledged to undertake two prayer walks a year until he has paced across all 16 Deaneries in the Durham Diocese, before then repeating the process.

He did his first four-day walk last week and today (Thursday) started his second at St Giles’ Church, Durham.

Bishop Butler said: “Last week during the first of these prayer walks I was amazed at the splendour of the green spaces that we visited.

“I knew that the area was made up of both rural and urban areas but the amount of green space and opportunity for people to get out and enjoy the fresh air was a very pleasant surprise.

“But the real delight of the first prayer walk was the generosity and welcome of people I met as we walked and chatted. People are so open and willing to talk about their own stories, about the community, the challenges and opportunities faced in the area and to pray and be prayed for.

“For me this is why doing these prayer walks is such a joy and is so valuable in getting to know the people and the communities of the Diocese. I’m very much looking forward to the new things we will see and the people we’ll meet on this prayer walk through the Durham Deanery.”

For more information, visit facebook.com/prayerwalkdurham