Clergy’s shoe-shine take on tradition

LOCAL clergy will be hitting the streets of Oldham this Maundy Thursday to shine shoes in a modern twist of the old Christian tradition of washing feet.

Bishops will also be heading out into Manchester, Bolton and Bury with their new spin on the tradition, which came about because Christians believe that Jesus washed the feet of his disciples before his last supper, the night before he was crucified.

Ever since, for the past 2,000 years, clergy have re-enacted the last supper and washed the feet of their parishioners on the night before Good Friday.

The Bishop of Bolton Chris Edmondson, said: “The shoe-shine is a demonstration that those who follow Jesus are expected to roll up their sleeves and help people.

“When Jesus did acts of charity it stopped people in their tracks. Many people will be a little surprised to see a bishop offering to spend time cleaning shoes, but clergy are called to serve and this symbolic act is one way of demonstrating this.”