As he left the Drumcree Rectory for his new home in Craigavon after 24 years in charge of the church - 12 of them caught up with the Orange marching issue - Mr Pickering said, "I cannot understand why it is taking so long to set up direct talks between the Orangemen and the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition.
"All along, the Orange side was under pressure to go into direct talks, and now that they are willing, the process of setting them up is taking an inordinate amount of time. Under the new political mood in Stormont, the two identities are getting together, and I believe this, too, will happen at Drumcree.
"Over the years, it has been a microcosm of division, but I believe it will be resolved and will become a powerful symbol of healing and unity.
"Like the wider political scene, it requires an attitude of goodwill and peace, and I believe this is now possible."
Mr Pickering preached his final sermons on Sunday, taking as his theme 'The Good News of the Gospel'. "I have always tried to live by that ethos," he said. "And I have found comfort in the Gospel at the height of the Drumcree crisis.
"Despite all the pressure placed on me by the Church of Ireland hierarchy to ban the Orangemen from my church, I could never do that. The church must never be closed to anyone.
"I was ordained to preach the Gospel to everyone as a basic human right, and I believe that everyone's human rights must be observed in this Drumcree parade issue.
"Looking back, I am glad I stood firm, especially in 1999 when the Church Synod called on me to deny the Orangemen access to my church when violence was at its height.
"My role has been as a pastor seeking to calm the issue, asking people to be prayerful and to listen to God. The situation was thrust upon me and I handled it the only way I knew."
It was quite a weekend for Mr Pickering as he laid down the onerous task of leading Drumcree Parish Church. On Saturday night, the parishioners presented him with a wide range of presents, from several organisations within the church.
They included a suite of furniture for the conservatory at his new home, a television, a microwave oven, garden furniture, bedding, a barometer, and set of bowls and some money.
"Everyone has been so very kind," he said. "I feel a tinge of sadness leaving Drumcree, but the time has come to retire."
The sadness was felt even more that his beloved wife Olive passed away on Easter Sunday last year, and that he moves into retirement as a widower. His daughter Sarah Cordner, a teacher at Killicomaine Junior High School, was at Saturday night's event in the parish hall.
Then, on Sunday, it was his last involvement in the parade issue when Orangemen from Portadown District LOL 1 presented him with a inscribed Bible to thank him for what they termed his courageous stance over the past 13 'Drumcrees'.
District Master Darryl Hewitt said, "We owe a great debt of gratitude to the Rev Pickering. He deserves great credit for the stance he has consistently taken for our civil and religious liberties and we want him to know how much we appreciate that."
The Orangemen made their customary walk down to the police lines on Sunday and were, as usual, denied access to the traditional route into Portadown.
Then, on Sunday night, Mr Pickering preached his final service, enjoyed a parish supper in the parochial hall, and went home to the Rectory for the final night.
The removal men came on Monday, and the Pickering era at the Church of the Ascension, Drumcree, officially ended.