It is only 17 days until our Pilgrimage to Lourdes starts. This year we will be taking over 70 assisted pilgrims to Our Lady's Shrine in the foothills of the Pyrennees. Some of us will fly from Stansted, our West Country Group from Exeter, the Massabielle Group will be making their way from Teeside by 'plane and coach and still others will be making the journey overland by train. All of us, helpers, nurses, carers, doctors, assisted and praying pilgrims will be preparing for this special week. Our thoughts and hopes will turn to renewal - renewal of friendships, renewal of faith and commitment to Our Blessed Mother, renewal of our awareness of our vulnerability and our human condition. Each of us will be feeling a great mix of emotions as we start to pack our bags and search for our passports and EHIC Cards!
This year the pastoral theme is:
With Bernadette Praying the Our Father
During the Pilgrimage we will all be asked to write a few words of thanksgiving to the Lord for all that nourishes us and keeps us alive. The pieces of paper on which we write these thoughts will be collected and placed at the foot of the altar during the offertory.
We pray that that Our Heavenly Mother will guide and protect us on our spiritual journey and that we may return, refreshed and renewed in body and spirit.
Our Lady of Lourdes - Pray for Us
Saint Bernadette - Pray for Us
