HOLY LAND/UK: Daniel steps out for ACN
Young UK Catholic Daniel Fernandes put his best foot forward by walking nearly 30 kilometres to raise money for a Catholic charity’s vital work in the Holy Land.
Daniel Fernandes, 22, a parishioner at St Anselm’s Catholic Church, Tooting Bec, South London, walked the route of the Victoria line, part of the capital’s iconic Underground network.
Setting off from Brixton in the south of the city, he crisscrossed the city’s streets, stopping at each station on the Victoria line – 16 stops in total – before arriving at Walthamstow, in the north.
Walking with his old school pal, Emeka Obikweu, it took more than six hours for the intrepid pair to complete the 18.5-mile journey, with a brief stop for lunch near King’s Cross Station.
At each of the stops, the two friends prayed a station of the Way of the Cross, the devotional practice of the Church which follows Christ’s from his appearance before Pilate, through his final journey to his Crucifixion.
Explaining why he did the walk, Daniel said: “I really feel for the people of the Holy Land. What they are going through right now is really terrible. I want to help them in any way I can.”
Although an enthusiastic walker, he described his trip as “punishing”.
“My feet were a bit sore by the time we finished,” he said, “but fortunately I had no blisters. I was glad to get home and have a shower.”
Daniel came to know of Aid to the Church in Need through St Anselm’s where for 12 years he has served alongside parish Master of Ceremonies John Pontifex, head of press and public affairs at ACN (UK).
So far, Daniel has raised more than £1,200 for ACN’s work in aid of Christians in the Holy Land and so is not far off his target of £1,600.
In one last push for donations, Daniel said: “To anyone interested in helping, I would just say: think about the many people suffering in the Holy Land. We need to do all we can to help them.”
ACN’s vital aid for the Christians of the Holy land includes food, medicine and hospital bills and comes in response to displacement and the threat of destitution for many who have lost their livelihoods since October 7th when pilgrimages came to an abrupt halt.
- To support Daniel Fernandes’s fundraising in support of Aid to the Church in Need’s emergency work in the Holy Land, visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/daniel-fernandes-1709653466204