US bishop swaps smartphone for oars

THE Bishop of New Hampshire, in the United States, the Rt Revd Robert Hirschfeld, has embarked on a 40-day pilgrimage on the Connecticut River. Having set off on 31 May near the Canadian border, he will paddle for more than 400 miles to reach Essex, on the Connecticut coast, on 8 July. More than 50 people have signed up to take part in the River of Life pilgrimage, a collaboration of all Episcopal dioceses in New England, by canoeing or kayaking for at least part of the journey. “My desire was to slow down and put aside our electronic devices, all the busy-ness of our life, and just be fully present with God and each other in the midst of God’s creation,” Bishop Hirschfeld told Episcopal News Service.

Christians rounded up in Eritrea

AFTER a series of arrests in Eritrea last month, 122 Christians have been detained, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reported last week. They include 45 who were taken from their homes to Adi Aglis detention camp, leaving 23 children without their parents. Further arrests are expected. The latest report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Eritrea said: “The practice of arbitrary arrest and detention of individuals based on their religious belief continues.” The chief executive of CSW, Mervyn Thomas, has called on the international community “to ensure that perpetrators of crimes against humanity are held accountable, including through universal jurisdiction, whenever this is appropriate”.