Virtual Pilgrimage 2024

WE KNOW IT IS NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE TO ATTEND THE PHYSICAL PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES. ON THIS PAGE, WE WILL ADD VIDEOS, PRAYERS, HYMNS AND MUCH MORE SO PILGRIMS NOT IN LOURDES CAN FEEL PART OF THE PILGRIMAGE THIS YEAR.

• Donate to the CA Pilgrimage and help us to do much more.

• Feedback form to give your feedback on the CA Pilgrimage 2024.

Friday 30 August 2024

What a great week we have all had. We hope that everyone back home has enjoyed joining us on the pilgrimage virtually? Let us pray...

Prayer at the end of the Pilgrimage:

O Mary, Mother of Jesus,
I thank God, through you, for the grace of this pilgrimage and for all that has
happened to me whilst I have been here. Pray for my fellow pilgrims and for all
who have helped me. Pray that I may have a safe journey,
and obtain for me the graces to do at home
what you have taught me to do here.
Our Lady of Lourdes: Pray for us.
Saint Bernadette: Pray for us

Go in peace to love and to serve the Lord. Join us in 2025: 22 - 29 August. All are welcome. Join our mailing list.

Thursday 29 August 2024

On Thursday, Fr. Nicholas King reflected on the day ahead:

"On Thursday it will be our turn in the Baths, with the immensely moving 'Water Gesture'. We also have the wonderful ‘Service of Anointing’, as we approach the end of the pilgrimage/procession. Note the lovely words of Jesus in the gospel for today: “come to me, all you who are weary and over-burdened, and I shall give you rest.” Those words will be waiting for us when we get back to wherever this procession/pilgrimage started. And our mass today will be the mass of thanksgiving, generously provided for by our children and their carers. Listen to Jesus’ generous words in the gospel: 'take it – this is my body'."

Today (in a very full day!), the CA took part in the ‘Baths’ ‘Service of Anointing’ and the ‘Thanksgiving Mass’ with the Glanfield Children’s Group.

Wednesday 28 August 2024

On Wednesday, Fr. Nicholas King reflected on the day ahead:

“This is our ‘Grotto mass’, and if we have grown into the atmosphere of Lourdes, we shall find ourselves deeply touched by being actually there where it all happened in 1858. Look at that lovely statue (though Bernadette said that it was nowhere near as lovely as the reality) and feel the unfailing invitation of the One who appeared there. And learn once more how to pray, just as Bernadette did in this place.”

The Grotto Mass was celebrated by the Archbishop of Southwark, the Most Rev. John Wilson.

Later that afternoon, some members of the Catholic Association led prayers at the CA vault in the town. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Tuesday 27 August 2024

On Tuesday, Fr. Nicholas King reflected on the day ahead:

“This is the feast of St Monica; we are invited to hear her desperate prayers for her son, who became St Augustine. Our mass today will take place in the extraordinary setting of the Cite St Pierre. It will also be the annual mass for our Hospitalité. The gospel carries a striking invitation to recognise what are the things that really matter. Let us pray that like St Augustine we shall each learn in Lourdes what they are.”

The Mass at the Cite Saint Pierre was celebrated by the Bishop of East Anglia, the Right Rev. Peter Collins.

On Tuesday evening, we enjoyed the Youth Service which was led by Fr. James Cassidy (RC Diocese of Northampton). The theme of the service was 'God works through hands of our young people'. Many thanks - as ever - to the Music Group for being part of this service.

The Pilgrimage has always relied on our youth - many volunteers have started as youth - do you know someone that might be interested in 2025?

Monday 26 August 2024

On Monday, the Chaplain to Sick and the Hospitalité, Fr. Nicholas King, SJ reflected on the day ahead:

"Today we can experience the invitation to look for God, to make a procession to meet him. The gospel for today tells us how to meet him: “I am the Vine, and you are the branches”. What is our relationship to him? Does it change during our time in Lourdes? Today we have the pilgrimage “service of reconciliation”. Would it help our pilgrimage/procession if we were to make use of this precious sacrament?"

The day concluded with the CA taking part in the Torchlight Procession.

Please remember that throughout this Pilgrimage, friends of the CA and Hospitalité members are being prayed for by each of us. Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

Sunday 25 August 2024

Fr. Nicholas King, SJ, Chaplain to the Sick and the Hospitalité, reflected on the day ahead: “Ideally we should all join the International Mass, a wonderful statement of this very Catholic event that is a Lourdes pilgrimage. Have a look at today’s gospel, and the temptation to abandon the Lord: the disciples grumble “this is hard talk. Who can listen to him?” Then, when Jesus asks if they are going to join the exodus, Peter (who does not always manage to get it right) responds on our behalf, “Lord – who else are we to go to? It is you who have the words of eternal life”. Have you ever felt the temptation to jump ship? If so, try and make Peter’s words your own: “we know that you are the Holy One of God”.

On Sunday, the CA took part in the 'International Mass' which was celebrated by Archbishop John Wilson of the Archdiocese of Southwark. The International Mass is a great celebration of the many cultures and pilgrimages that come to Lourdes each year. For those who were unable to attend the larger Mass, a smaller one was celebrated by the Chaplain of the CA Hospitalité and to the APs, Fr. Nicholas King, SJ.

On Sunday evening, new prayer members were welcomed to the CA Hospitalité by Bishop Paul Hendricks (Bishop of the Archdiocese of Southwark) and Mr. Mark Smith. Prayer members are an integral part of the Hospitalité who have an important role to pray for all members and the success of the Pilgrimage's mission to spread the message of Our Lady of Lourdes. After the service, there was a celebration of our new or ongoing membership to the Hospitalité.

Happy birthday to Freya who on Sunday celebrated her 18th birthday. Happy birthday, Freya!! Freya is a young helper on this year's pilgrimage.

Saturday 24 August 2024

Fr Nicholas King, SJ writes: “This is the beginning of our pilgrimage, and we shall not be celebrating the feast of the mysterious St Bartholomew. Welcome mass: the blessing of the helpers’ hands. This is a powerful gesture, reminding us that we are not here because we are so good at our normal Lourdes activities; we are here because our world is in need of it, and we cannot manage it without the blessing of God and the invitation of Our Lady.”

Friday 23 August 2024

LOURDES 2024 PASTORAL THEME “...come in procession”

“Come in procession” is the pastoral invitation for this year in Lourdes. It is said that in Bernadette’s dialect, the word for “procession” and the word for “pilgrimage” are the same. What might that tell us, do you think?

One thing that you might like to reflect on is what “coming in procession” might do for us. And what, do you think, might it do for those who are with us in Lourdes as “assisted pilgrims”? Do you think that at home they often have the experience of being important, and that sense of identity that comes from being together in a crowd? How do you think they might be feeling in Lourdes today?

Is it a good thing to “come in procession”? What effect does it, or will it (if you have not been with us before) have on you? Bernadette heard the lady address her, with immense courtesy: will you do me the favour of coming here for a fortnight? How did the invitation come to us? Did we experience it as an invitation?

And many people experience this as a double “encounter”, with God and with other pilgrims, slowly becoming part of a community. This is something that is very often lacking in our bruised and battered world. You might perhaps reflect that a really important moment in our pilgrimage to Lourdes might be when we accept the invitation to the sacrament of reconciliation. Confession in Lourdes can be a wonderful experience, especially for those who have not been for some time. And we might remember the Lady’s request that Bernadette pray to God for sinners. That word certainly includes each of us.

Then there is that other aspect of “pilgrimage”. The effect of it is very often to change us utterly; and we discover that this has happened to us when we get home, and see how we behave there, and how our lives touch those of others.

Many people like to express this by way of candles, perhaps near to a cherished icon, or picture of the Grotto, or a tiny bottles of Lourdes water. You might like to give one of these to someone at home who is unable to be in Lourdes this year.

At the end of this year’s pilgrimage, it will be good to ask “How did it change me?”

Fr. Nick King, SJ

CA Pilgrimage Booklet: the booklet with all the information on the pilgrimage, programme, introductions, hymns and more.

Map of Lourdes with the key locations for the CA Pilgrimage 2024

Thank you to the new CA Comms Team for all their help in getting these images/videos organised for the virtual website. Thanks too to Phil Gibbons, Clifton who has provided so many brilliant videos so that we can share to the wider CA family. Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.