St Joseph's Catholic Church, Oakham

A SOLEMN procession of about 250 people walked through Oakham this morning carrying a wooden cross for the annual Walk of Witness.

The event, organised by Churches Together in Oakham, is an annual pilgrimage from St John and St Anne Complex in Oakham to Oakham Buttercross where a Good Friday service is held in public.

Marshals stopped traffic along to route to allow the procession to walk along the High Street and volunteers handed out hot cross buns from wicker baskets to pedestrians who stopped to watch.

Some even joined the procession at the back and stayed for the service which was led by Rev Father Stephen Dye of St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Station Road, Oakham.

People at the service represented all the churches in the town and ages ranged from infants to the elderly.

The procession sang two hymns and heard a reading from John 19 verses 17 to 30.

Following the service, Father Stephen Dye said: “I am pleased that we were able to be here all together on this very special day to worship together and recognise that Jesus Christ died for us all. Churches in Oakham are a great organisation that make people aware of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Although it is a sad occasion we need to be together in love for God and each other. It has been a very good turnout and we were blessed by the good weather.”