| Diocesan News

The “Walk to Jerusalem” program exercises bodies and souls throughout Lent.

“Lent is a time of renewal; we need to renew our spiritual and physical life,” says parish secretary Joyce Stoner, one of the participants. “We grow so dormant in winter. Why not combine the two?”

Here’s how it works. Jerusalem is 6,234 miles away, as the jet flies, but only 2,434 of those miles are over land. The goal of the program is to collectively travel 2,434 miles.

That’s longer than the Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine. It’s longer than walking from Anderson to Boston and back.

The program started on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday. “We’ve done this for three years, and so far, we’ve made it every time,” says organizer Kathy Halleck, the parish nurse.

Each week, each participant records how many miles he or she has walked, and gets the results to Halleck. She lets them know how much closer the group is getting to Jerusalem, and gives them a new Lenten reading to reflect upon.

Those who can’t walk get credit for a mile of walking for every 20 minutes of exercise they put in, whether it be swimming, stretching or cycling.

“Any way to keep people moving and praying,” Halleck says.

In 2005, the St. Mary group logged 4,287 miles; in 2006, 4,476 miles.

Halleck brought the concept to Anderson after hearing about it at a gathering for parish nurses. It’s fun and challenging for people of all ages, she says, and it offers “something other than fasting” during Lent.

The spiritual dimension makes “Walk to Jerusalem” different. Every week, Halleck provides each participant with a Bible verse and reflection that can be carried along on the walk. A short “breath prayer” is designed to be said throughout the workout. The person is asked to write down a thought to focus on during the walk, a list of prayer concerns, and observations or inspirations that colored a particular walk.

Here’s a sample of one week’s written lesson:

“Believing in God is an act of faith. No living person has seen him or touched him, yet he is so real and so close that we talk with him and walk with him every day. Ours is an era in which we rely on facts, data and statistics to back up virtually everything; yet we base our entire spiritual life on faith. As you walk this week, think about believing so strongly in what you cannot see and about specific incidents in your own life that have strengthened your certainty of God’s presence. Think about your faith, which binds you to God.”

Then, the reading, for meditation or memorization: “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

“If I walk by myself, it’s a time of prayer for me,” Stoner says. “During Lent, especially, I think about Jesus dying on the cross for us, having to carry that heavy cross. I think about those things.”

“I like the little reading; it kind of clears your mind as you walk,” says Mary Ann Nivens, a three-year participant in “Walk to Jerusalem.” “You think about it as you’re walking.”

Walking is a great form of exercise, says Nivens, a nurse and head of the parish RCIA and senior ministry program.

No costly equipment is needed, and each person can set his own pace. Participants can decide to walk outdoors, in a mall, or at some “big box” retail store. They can even get their mileage in while pushing a shopping cart.

Nivens tries to walk between eight and 10 miles a week. She reflects on the weekly reading, and thinks about Jesus’ long, tortured walk to Calvary.

Parishioners exercise on their own or with others. One man lost 30 pounds, and now walks two hours a day. Becky Hull, a physical education professor at Anderson University, walked and biked a whopping 132.5 miles during the first week of March.

“I think people enjoy it. It’s a challenge,” Nivens says. “Everyone wants a little challenge and it gives them something to think about, too.”

St. Mary parishioners Wayne and Emily Carter have been involved for three years. They exercise in their neighborhood, in the mall and at the YMCA.

Wayne says that as he walks, he thinks about the gift of health. Last year, he lost a kidney and survived life-threatening complications.

“I appreciate having been given the ability to get out and enjoy the atmosphere,” he says.

When parishioners work together toward a common goal, Emily says, motivation and dedication follow.

Thanks to the scripture readings, she says, “each week is something new. It’s something new to meditate on as you walk … that time to be in peace and quiet got me interested in it.”