Bishop Drainey leads North Yorks trek

Bishop Terry, second left at back with Fr John Loughlin, with young people from Sacred Heart parish, Mike Morrissey, sheepdog Jess

Bishop Terry Drainey, of Middlesbrough, led 120 walkers on a seven mile trek from Robin Hood's Bay in North Yorkshire to Whitby for evening Mass last Sunday.He admitted he was no walker like his predecessor John Crowley, who led a diocesan pilgrimage nearly 100 miles from Hull to Middlesbrough the summer before retiring in 2007.

But Bishop Terry led the walkers, only three of whom dropped out during the coastal up-and-down hike, to raise the profile of priestly vocations in the diocese.

Six priests and six seminarians, including men from Ushaw college, Durham, where he was rector before becoming bishop in 2008, joined in. They included his nephew Mark Paver from Manchester, who is studying for the priesthood at St Joseph's seminary in New York. He was working in the US when he decided to switch to priestly studies.

Manchester-born Bishop Terry led the walkers into St Hilda's church, Whitby, for evening Mass four hours after starting out from pastoral centre Madonna House, Robin Hood's Bay.

Organiser Martin Allinson, of the Knights of St Columba, Middlesbrough, said the police and local authorites were pleased at the preparations which had gone into the walk.

"The weather was good with no rain and cool for walking. The Knights hope to have a spiritual retreat at Madonna House," he said.