Father Chris asks if you’ll step up in 2025?

Date Published: 28 Jan 2025
Father Chris Gorton in red Caritas branded tshirt smiling at camera and holding arms in running pose

A parish priest from Bolton completed a huge challenge last summer as part of our Every Step campaign, raising funds to help people locally who are experiencing poverty, homelessness and disadvantage. 

Father Chris Gorton,  from the Parish of St Cuthbert in Bolton, ran the Camino de Santiago in aid of our charity.  The feat saw him take on a distance of 924 kilometres, which is the equivalent of running from Manchester to Dundee and back again.

Such an amazing achievement!

He was also joined by Bishop John Arnold, who is chair of our charity, during the last week of the challenge.  The Bishop walked several stages of the Camino.

Local school children also joined in spirit by taking on their own challenges, running or walking a set distance each day he was running to help raise awareness and much-needed funds. 

Lots of other people in local communities, and those accessing our services also took part in Every Step last year, taking on a challenge of their own.
Person in red Caritas tshirt smiling at camera, holding a frame around their face that reads I'm a fundraising superstar and has Caritas Salford's social media channel addresses on it person sitting in a chair with a plant on a table beside them. They are holding a copy of Comfort book up over their face as they read Two people in red Caritas running vests with medals smiling at camera. Either side of them are two people dressed in large bee costumes
This year, as we ask whether you’ll consider taking on something that pushes you out of your comfort zone in 2025 in aid of Caritas Salford (whether a physical or mental challenge, anything goes!), Father Chris tells us more about his Camino and what inspired him to get involved…
Father Chris, thanks so much for supporting our work with your own Every Step challenge.  Can you tell us more about it? 
To run the Camino from Lourdes to Santiago de Compostela via St Jean Pied Port along the Camino Frances. It is a distance of 924 kilometres and I wanted to raise money and awareness for Caritas Salford.
Why did you choose this as your Every Step challenge?
I have had the privilege of walking the Camino before, arriving on two different occasions to Santiago. I enjoy long distance running and Caritas Salford is very close to my heart. So it seemed to come together prompted by Fr Mark Paver who gave me the idea!
What motivated you when you were preparing for the challenge?
I had the very special opportunity of visiting some of the different projects in the diocese including Cornerstone, Red Door, the Lalley Centre, Community Pantry and Allotment, and the Caritas accommodation for young parents in Blackburn.
This gave me real people to think of and encourage me to train for this challenge. Also I knew that if there was going to be a chance to complete it then I would have to train hard!
Fr Chris Gorton standing on the route of the camino with the landscape and hills behind
It was a huge undertaking, how did it feel once you were there and actually doing it?
This is a very good question. On a number of occasions I had to say to myself ‘This is it now, not training now, this really is happening.’
I was nervous and excited. The adrenaline was there at the start but that doesn’t keep you going for thirty four days! I realised that I had to just concentrate on each day, each part of the day and sometimes the next step. It was very exciting and also very challenging and sometimes a grind!
How did you keep going through the difficult days or days you were tired?
Sometimes I would think of how far I had already come, sometimes I would think of other times when it has been a challenge and that I had managed to keep going and all the time giving it to God. It was very important me that I was a pilgrim and a palmer ( carrying the intentions of other people). The stories and determination of other people were also an inspiration to me and the children taking part in their own running challenges in the diocese too.
Looking now, reflecting back on the challenge, what did you learn by taking it on?
A number of times I thought that I never imagined that I would be one of those people who would take on a challenge like this.
It taught me about having a dream, a challenge that would stretch me and with lots of people helping me making that a reality. The joy of doing something that you enjoy for the greater glory of God and to help others and that we are pilgrims on this earth. This was an adventure with God that is part of the much bigger adventure which is saying yes to God, the calling that God has for each one of us in different ways.
How did you feel about the schools and others in local communities who took on their own challenges alongside yours to raise funds for Caritas too?
For me it was very important that I was part of a bigger community all taking on different challenges with everyone doing something that took them out of their comfort zone so that they were thinking of and helping other people. It certainly kept me going at times. So a big thank you to everyone who took part.
What would you say to others thinking of taking on a challenge for Every Step 2025?
Do it! Make it something that you enjoy doing and at the same time will be a challenge – train for it, prepare for it and persevere.
You can do it!
Why do you think campaigns like this are so important?
I think that raising awareness as well as funds for Caritas Salford gives people a deeper understanding of what goes on and why it is such a special organisation. Many more people find out about the charity and support it if they are involved in a challenge or supporting family or friends as they take part in one.
You can see photos and video from the challenge by clicking here. A very big thank you to my nephew Ben who ran the first week with me, to Dominic, my brother, my sister Therese, and brother-in-law Tom who were with me for the last five day and the Bishop who walked the last four days too.
And a very big thank you to everyone at Caritas, everyone who sponsored me and everyone who I met along the way who supported me and kept me going. And above all thank you to God for a wonderful adventure.
I would love you to find your Every Step challenge that would give you a similar experience. Think big and do a little bit at a time.
God bless, Fr Chris

Take a look at the challenges you could take part in – or get in touch about one of your own! Click the link below now…

www.caritassalford.org.uk/EveryStep

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