Expect to see Bishop Columba Macbeth-Green on his bike in coming months, he’s got a very special mission to train for.
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The Wilcannia-Forbes Bishop has joined Catholic Mission’s Ride to Reach Out, a 250km cycle through the heart of Cambodia, to raise funds and awareness for the work of the mission organisation.
The 12-day ride, from November 15 to 26, will take the Bishop and up to 19 others through one of Southeast Asia’s most stunning regions, while also allowing them to make a practical difference to the lives of people in need.
The journey will take the cyclists from the breathtaking temples of Angkor Wat and Siem Reap, to the calm splendour of Tonle Sap lake and eventually into the bustling heart of the capital Phnom Penh.
The ride will be gruelling in a tropical climate, and Bishop Columba will have a first-hand opportunity to meet and work with some of the beneficiaries of programs supported by Catholic Mission, of which he is the liaison bishop.
“To actually go to the communities supported by Catholic Mission I think is really important,” he said.
“To put faces, names to people at the other end of giving … makes it real, and that’s the important thing for me is to be able to connect with the people.”
Bishop Columba has already planned a suite of fundraising activities to meet his individual targets.
“In my own diocese, we have some functions planned. We have a trivia night scheduled and we’ll try to get the schools involved,” he said.
Bishop Columba is one of Australia’s youngest bishops, but is he up for this challenge?
“Prayer is going to have to help me through it,” he says with a laugh.
“I don’t know how I’ll handle the humidity, but I’m fairly confident because it’s not a sprint. I’m just looking forward to it. With God, you can do anything.”
Bishop Columba hasn’t taken to the two wheels for a while, but five months out from the adventure he says his training is unlikely to involve traversing his 414,398 square-kilometre diocese.
“It’s too flaming big! Combined with the heat, and the magpies, I think I’ll stick to night riding,” he says.
“I haven’t ridden in a while, but this gives me a reason to get back into it. I’ve got a goal now.”
For more information on how you can join the Ride to Reach out, or support the Bishop and others who have taken up the challenge, visit catholicmission.org.au/inspiredadventures
