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"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths." - Proverbs 3:5–6

We Need Your Help

Each year, the Catholic Association Pilgrimage (CA) is responsible for coordinating the welcome and care of our ‘assisted pilgrims’ - those on our annual pilgrimage to Lourdes who have particular care and support needs. For our pilgrimage in August 2024 (23-30), the CA is appealing for everyone to invite any friends, family members or fellow parishioners who might want to come to Lourdes as an assisted pilgrim, or as a volunteer helper in order to help provide the support that our assisted pilgrims need. This page has been created as a place of resource for friends of the CA. All are welcome and all have an important contribution to make to the community that we form during our pilgrimage week.

  • Our assisted pilgrims can choose to stay in either a hotel with some basic support given by volunteer helpers (such as wheelchair assistance in getting around town or to services), or in the Accueil Saint Frai, where medical and personal care is provided. Our assisted pilgrims are very much at the heart of our pilgrimage, and we welcome anyone interested in coming to this beautiful place in the picturesque Pyrenees. In addition, financial help may be available through your Diocesan/Group Director or the CA.

    The CA Pilgrimage also includes the Glanfield Children’s Group. Since 1987 the group has travelled to Lourdes with many children with learning difficulties, as well as chronic and terminal illness each year. Full details of the work they do can be found on our website.

  • Men and women of all ages and backgrounds come to Lourdes as volunteer helpers to answer Our Lady’s request for people to ‘come in procession’, but more importantly they come in response to the command of her son Jesus to love God and to love our neighbours as ourselves (Mark 12:29-31).These volunteer helpers, who are pilgrims themselves, strive to encounter Jesus in each pilgrim, caring for their physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. The Catholic Association includes doctors and nurses as well as non-medical helpers, who are known as brancardiers (male) and handmaids (female). Financial support may be available through your Diocesan/Group Director or the CA.

    The minimum age for helping is 17 and there is no maximum age. If you are aged 17-25, you can be a part of the Young Helpers’ Group (a supervised group staying in a separate hotel).

    For those helpers with children, the CA offers the Helpers Children's Programme (HCP). The HCP offers a range of activities for the children of our volunteer helpers. Many of our volunteer helpers who are parents find that this gives them the flexibility they need during the week to work with our assisted pilgrims. HCP is open 08:30 – 12:00 and 14:00 – 18:00 most days of the week.

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CONTACT

Thank you for taking the time to visit our page and for your help. Please contact us on contact@catholicassociation.co.uk if you need any more information or would like to help in any way. 

FUNDING

Financial support can be found here, or by going to catholicassociation.co.uk/funding