Melbourne Christians Gather on Good Friday to Remember Our Saviour 

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints accepted the invitation of Rev Fr Alex Chow, Assistant Priest of Melbourne’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral, to join in Easter worship on Good Friday, 7 April. 

An interfaith walk, marked by a series of 14 bronze bas-relief sculptures, began in 1998 by collaborating clergy of Melbourne’s inner-city churches. Well over a thousand participants from Victoria joined in this year‘s worship service. 

On Good Friday participants gathered at St. Francis on Lonsdale Street, where liturgies began.   

Prayer, scriptures, and hymns were shared at the ten churches visited, representing the path Jesus followed on His way to Golgotha. 

The pilgrims sang processional chants whilst traveling between churches.  

One attendee said, “I just love the feeling here, people from many different churches walking so calmly and peacefully toegether. It's how it should be.... This is a beautiful way to learn about what happened at the end of Jesus Christs' life."

Melbourne communication leaders and missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were introduced to clergy, such as Pastor Simon Holt (Collins Street Baptist Church), and Reverend Andreas Loewe, Dean of Melbourne (St. Paul’s Cathedral). 

David Cowan and Yvette Barnes (local Latter-day Saint communication leaders) talked with Dean Andreas about potential interfaith collaboration, including the possibility of a choir involving Christian, Jewish, and Muslim believers. It was agreed that we, as Christians, have more in common than not. 

Although missionaries were not there to teach, only to support Christian friends, questions were asked by some trekkers, and the Chinese-speaking sister missionaries and other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made new friends.