German pilgrims chased by Australian police were on a mission from God

A pair of devout elderly Germans desperate to go to church led police on a 12km car chase through Melbourne. The pilgrims travelling the globe with “four foot crosses” and using only God as their guide, seemed to lose their way en route from Melbourne to Sydney. The driver, 73, and his slightly younger companion, known only as Manfred and Gerhard, were spotted by police at about 6am on Sunday, veering across traffic in heavy rain on the Monash Freeway.

The red Holden Astra hire car was spotted weaving across the in-bound lanes in Malvern by a Glen Waverley divisional van, but the driver ignored the pursuing police car’s lights and sirens for 12km. The car was eventually stopped near Power St, after the devoted duo had travelled through the Domain Tunnel. Their car keys were seized, and the pair taken to the South Melbourne police station for questioning.



Police spokeswoman Michelle Walsh said the two men could barely speak English, and through an interpreter explained they were exhausted after driving through the night. “The interpreter discovered the pair had driven all night in search of a Catholic Church,” Ms Walsh said. The pair were still adamant they needed to go to a Catholic mass and a police escort was organised to get them to the closest Catholic church, she said. The men were not charged.

The pair then surprised parishioners and popular priest Father Bob Maguire at South Melbourne’s Saint Peter and Paul Church by arriving with “four foot crosses” at the 10am service. Father Bob’s assistant Martin Prest said the pair “desperately needed showers … and a good night’s sleep”. Instead, the younger one spoke to the congregation to explain that they were travelling as part of a pilgrimage to get closer to God, relying on the kindness of strangers.