Tuesday 3rd September. The Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Reverend Steven Croft, arrived at All Saints Church today on his pilgrimage through Berkshire parishes. He had started his walk from St George’s Owlsmoor and passed through the parish churches of Crowthorne and St Sebastian in Nine Nile Ride, Wokingham Without. Whilst at All Saints the Bishop took part in a Eucharist for Creation Time and also observed the festival today of St Gregory the Great, Bishop of Rome and Teacher of the Faith (604AD), who had sent Augustine to re-found the church in the south of England. Parishioners from All Saints Wokingham joined the Bishop at the church, together with Canon David Hodgson who presided at the service, and The Reverend Colin James who read the gospel. The stop at All Saints was also an opportunity for lunch break in The Cornerstone. The Bishop was accompanied on the walk by his chaplain, The Reverend Paul Cowan, who served as a curate at All Saints 2002-2005 , by the Lay Chair of Sonning Deanery Synod, John Smith, who is a member of the All Saints Parochial Church Council, by the Diocesan Communications Director Steven Buckley and by some pilgrims from the parishes visited earlier in the day. He was accompanied on the next leg to Woosehill Community Church by the Reverend Richard Lamey the Area Dean of Sonning and Rector of St Paul with Woosehill.
The photograph shows the Bishop blessing the church with chalk marking at the entrance. The letters represent a traditional Latin phrase meaning Christ Bless this House
