Lourdes Blog 2010

It's amazing to think that it's Friday already.   Where has this week gone?   This morning we celebrated the Closing Mass of the pilgrimage.   It wasn't a sad occasion as you might think because so many of us have received so much through our time here that we go home renewed in spirit.   Archbishop Nichols was the celebrant and the homily was given by Bishop Alan Hopes.   He told us that the pilgrimage is not just for us; our vocation is, as ever, to tell others of the things we have seen and heard.   Once again we were reminded of the theme of the year and assured that the cross is the sign of God's deep love for us.   After Mass we solemnly processed our candle to the Grotto, in the Lourdes tradition, where it was blessed and left burning.

As a pilgrimage we've been able to put into practice in a very special way the requirement to consider the needs others.   One of our pilgrims has a serious fall earlier in the week and is still in hospital.   Naturally we've all been asked remember him and his family in our prayers.

This afternoon the members of the Hospitalité got together in the Rosary basilica for a service of thanksgiving at which Father Anthony O'Gorman thanked everybody for their effort and hard work of service this week.

Speaking of service, I took the opportunity to chat with two people who've been very hard at work in the Marie Saint Frai hospital this week, looking after our malades.   Mike Maguire is the chief nurse and Sian Davies is the pilgrimage doctor.   Both of them have taken time off from their demanding roles in London hospitals to join us here and I was keen to hear how they viewed the work they do in Lourdes.

Sian: It's an opportunity to help the less able to live and pray and have a joyful time without any handicap in the way.   We receive more than we give.

Mike: It's an extraordinary week which fills me with the utmost privilege and honour to be able to lead a team that cares for the sick and those in need.   When we touch the sick I feel God's presence and love.

And so Friday evening has arrived at last, the final night of our pilgrimage.   To be honest it ended officially after our Closing Mass today but tonight was the night, as is usual, of the hospital party.   Our malades were gathered on the top floor of the hospital for a sing-along-come-concert and it was great fun with Father Chris Vipers getting us all going with his rousing version of Rise and Shine, which is a great favourite here.   All too soon though it was time to end it all and Father Michael was leading us all in a prayer and giving us a blessing.

I've got to start saving for next year now.

We went a little way into the mountains for our Mass today.   We celebrated at the Cathedral of the Trees in yet more lovely sunshine.   The celebrant was Father Paschal Ryan of Heston Parish and the homily was given by Bishop Alan Hopes.

The theme of the Mass was the family and Bishop Alan spoke of the importance of the family as the place where the seeds of faith are planted.   A family may have a great many struggles and hardships but can still be a place of holiness because holiness and perfection are not the same thing.   The family in which Bernadette was raised endured many hardships and struggles but was a loving and prayerful home nonetheless. 

I've got a little rider to add to the archbishop's gift of rosaries to the Redcaps the other night.   One of the priests on the pilgrimage, Father Philip Baptiste, has directed my attention to a website on which you can sign up and commit to pray the rosary for a bishop, goodness knows they can certainly do with our prayers.   It's an interesting idea and I've added a link to the site from this blog for those who would like to follow this through. 

Well, our pilgrimage is rolling on.   This afternoon there was the opportunity to pray the Stations of the Cross, which is always a popular devotion.   And towards evening Westminster had a special place in the Blessed Sacrament procession.   One of our seminarians, Andrew Gallagher, was asked to carry the book of the Gospels which went ahead of the sacrament and I took the time to meet a few more of these young men that are on the pilgrimage accompanied by the Rector of Allen Hall, Monsignor Mark O'Toole.   It's great to have them out here with us and I hope they've enjoyed being with us as much as we've enjoyed this opportunity to get to know our future priests a little better.   As I said earlier in the week, they've been leading the Divine Office and I managed to get to  Lauds (Morning Prayer) this morning and was really glad I did.

This year the helpers have all had new badges for their white working shirts.   They're very smart and reflect the new status of Westminster as part of the Hospitalité de Notre Dame de Lourdes.   But surely the cutest manifestation of the badge has got to be the Westminster babygrow worn by our youngest pilgrim, Thomas Lavery. . . . altogether now . . . Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, doesn't he look lovely.

And . . . if it's Thursday it's party time.    This is organised by Michael Slater who's in charge of the altar boys and girls during the liturgies.   Opera singer, Anna Johnstone, got us all in the swing of things by leading us in a rendition of God Save the Queen.   After that it was a combination of open mike and sing-along.   Michael had made sure than nobody need worry about not knowing the words by producing song sheets so that everybody could join in and it was a very jolly evening.

Mass this morning was the International Mass, celebrated in the Pius X (underground) basilica.   You just have to wonder where all the people come from but I'm told the place holds 25,000 people and it was packed to the gills.   It was a beautiful Mass though and, after a busy itinerary yesterday, marks the start of a quieter day today as our pilgrims are free to take excursions, go where they want to or just chill, as the mood takes them.   As for me, I took another walking tour today and, my goodness it was hot.   I was told it would be a bit cool with showers this week but, for the most part, the weather's been glorious.

Apart from the numerous priests who are part of the pilgrimage, we're very happy, this year, to be accompanied by all the Seminarians who are currently in training at Allen Hall.   They've been leading us in the Divine Office and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament each day and have been very visible in all the other liturgies as well as the procession.   It's wonderful to see these young men who are prepared to give their lives to God in the service of His Church.

Morning Mass this morning was lovely.   We celebrated it with the Diocese of Lancaster and the Order of Malta Volunteers on the banks of the Gave opposite the Grotto.   Archbishop Vincent Nichols was the celebrant and the bishop of Lancaster, Michael Campbell, gave the homily.   The Gospel was taken from the account of the crucifixion when Our Blessed Lord gave his mother into the care of the apostle John.   Bishop Campbell spoke of how the motherhood of Mary changed from this point to include all of us.   He went on to say that she lived her life under the sign of the cross and can teach us all how to accept the cross that we all have in our own lives

This afternoon's events started off with a penitential service throughout which the Blessed Sacrament was exposed.   It went very well, many of the pilgrims took the opportunity to go to confession and we were all helped by the sacrament.

Afterwards, I popped along to the Permanences where various of the pilgrimages have booths at which they can sell fund-raising items.   I wanted to have a chat with one of the Redcap leaders.   Sonia Lueiro has been very busy recently making ceramic items such as crosses, little nun figurines and fridge magnet frames.   I could tell it's a labour of love though as the money raised is used for next year's pilgrimage.   I bought myself a little roly-poly nun which I really liked.   She has a surprised look on her face, is wearing a black habit and her white veil is flying out behind her.  

After that there was the hospital tea-party in the very pleasant setting of the garden of the Gallia et Londres Hotel.   This is always a popular event.   At one point the queue for ice-creams was snaking half-way round the garden, mind you, it was worth the wait.   Father Dennis Touw and Father Chris Vipers leds us in a sing-song and Archbishop Vincent Nichols mingled with the rest of us in what has turned out to be another beautifully sunny day here in Lourdes.

There was just time for another event before dinner.   Archbishop Nichols gave a catechesis to the Redcaps.   He spoke of the significance of tonight's torchlight procession which Westminster will be leading.   One of the main elements of tonight's event is that the rosary is prayed during the procession.   The archbishop asked how many of the young people present actually had a rosary and when it became clear that many of them didn't possess one he said that he would get rosaries for them all.    This offer went down very well, as you can imagine.   After the catechesis he fielded questions from the floor and although some were thought-provoking there was also a good deal of light banter which made it a jolly occasion.

Later this evening just before the torchlight procession set off, true to his word, the archbishop had arranged for rosaries to be distributed to all those Redcaps who didn't already have one.

As ever, the  procession was stupendous.   Several thousand people processed round the esplanade in front of the basilica holding candles and praying the rosary.   It never fails to move me and tonight I was very blessed to be able to get a view from high up on the steps in front of the basilica.   It's  really the most amazing sight.

The Pilgrims have now all arrived and, thank God, everybody got here safely.   Because the train pilgrims weren't able to arrive until late last night we've had to change our programme for the first day and, instead of our opening Mass in the morning a walking tour was arranged.   So many people wanted to come on this that we split up into three groups and had a very interesting time going to those places of relevance to Saint Bernadette and the story of the apparitions.

This afternoon, as part of a very moving dedication ceremony, we planted a cross among many other crosses around the tall Breton Cross just inside the Saint Michael's Gate entrance to the sanctuary.   This is something many pilgrimage groups are doing this year to mark the theme of the year which is, 'with Bernadette let us make the sign of the cross'.    After this we all set off in the brilliant sunshine and solemnly processed into the Rosary Basilica where we celebrated Mass.  The celebrant was Bishop Alan Hopes and Archbishop Vincent Nichols gave the homily.   The archbishop welcomed everyone to Lourdes and spoke of the 'inner pilgrimage' which is to respond to God's call to love Him and know Him more deeply.   He reminded us of the importance of being a community of people that prays.   He then went on to pick up on the theme of this year.   He reminded us that during the first apparition Bernadette was unable to make the sign of the cross until Our Blessed Lady had done so and in this is a little sign that our pilgrimage will be led by Our Lady.

We were able to respond to the call to communal prayer prayer this evening when the diocesan seminarians led us in the Rosary.   We prayed the five joyful mysteries together and were helped in our meditation on each one by readings from the Gospel and tableaux presented by the Redcaps.