Parents’ Meeting

We always hold a meeting for parents in June to tell them a little bit more about the pilgrimage and answer any questions or concerns they might have. This will take place on Wednesday 20^th June at 7.30pm at Holy Cross Catholic High School, Chorley

Meetings

Like any big event we will get more out of it if we put some good preparation in beforehand. as such we will be holding four preparation meetings before we depart for Lourdes. These meetings are very important and will be used to tell you about the work we’ll be doing and to prepare you for the pilgrimage. The meetings are also a great way to meet other members of the coach so that we become a team before we get to Lourdes. Last year we had some concerns about the number of people missing meetings. We have been asked to remind you that attendance at the meetings is essential and is part of the commitment you have agreed to when you applied to come on the coach. We know that a lot of you have weekend jobs but hope that you will do everything you can to rearrange things so that you can attend. If you fail to attend more than one meeting it will result in your place being offered to someone onthe waiting list. Please put these dates in your diary and if for any reason you are unable to attend please could you let Ben know either by phone or email.

Sunday April 1st 2pm-4pm
Meeting 1 at
St Joseph’s Parish Centre, Harpers Lane, Chorley, PR6 0HF

Sunday May 13th 2pm- 4pm
Meeting 2 at
St Joseph’s Parish Centre, Harpers Lane, Chorley, PR6 0HF

Sunday June 10th 1.30pm- 4pm
Meeting 3 at
Holy Cross School, Burgh Lane, Chorley

Sunday July 15th 2pm- 4pm
Meeting 4 at
St Teresa’s Parish Centre, Queensway, Penwortham PR1 0DS

Staff team

This year’s staff team are:

Ben
McMullen

Ben lives in Wigan and is Head of RE at All Hallows. He led Coach 5 in 2002 and 2006, and is delighted to be leading it again this year.

Richard
Adamson

Richard is returning to Lourdes as a staff member for a second year. Many of you will know him from his work an an ICT technician at All Hallows Catholic High School, Penwortham.

Fr Michael
Fitzsimons

Father Mike works in Christ the King parish in Childwall, Liverpool. He has been to Lourdes with the Youth Pilgrimage a number of times, and is looking forward to working with Coach 5 for the first time.

Maureen
Hall

Many of you will know Maureen from her work as Chaplain at Holy Cross High School, Chorley. Maureen has led Coach 5, and been a staff member several times in the past, and is really looking forward to coming back this year after a couple of years off.

Vic
Holmes

Vic is originally from Sheffield and lives with husband Steve in Stalybridge. She works as a Project Assistant for Manchester City Council. Vic has been to Lourdes hundreds of times in the past.

Steve
Holmes

Steve originates from Chorley but now lives in Stalybridge. He is married to Vic and has been to Lourdes on Coach 5 many, many times. He was the Coach Leader for several years and has returned as a staff member frequently. Steve is a web developer.

Sarah
Huddy

Sarah is from Chorley, now working and living in Preston as a graphic designer. She always does a great job of designing the name badges we wear in Lourdes, and is also responsible for our great web page banner! Sarah came to Lourdes as a young person with Coach 5 and this will be her third time as a staff member.

Why go on pilgrimage?

A pilgrimage involves a two-way journey, a journey of the heart towards God through the physical and often uncomfortable journey to a holy place.

It is amazing that young people respond so generously to this invitation to come to Lourdes. Pope John Paul II has challenged young people to join him on a particular pilgrimage to different parts of the world every two years. Taize offers a pilgrimage of simplicity and prayer which thousands of young people make each year, sacrificing much to come to meet other young people from different denominations around the world. Lourdes, World Youth Days, Taize and many other local pilgrimages demonstrate that young people are captivated by these pilgrimages which somehow help them in a dramatic way at a particular time on their faith journey. Whatever the initial motivation to make these journeys, it cannot be underestimated what a profound effect they have on them. It has not been uncommon for young people on the Lourdes Youth Pilgrimage to make life choices or to be gently nudged by the Holy Spirit in a particular direction.

A ‘typical’ week in Lourdes

To give you an idea of what our itinerary will be like (after our 22 hour coach journey!), here is what went on a couple of years ago:

Saturday 26th July

11.30am Arrive
2.30pm Tour of Lourdes for newcomers
4.30pm Musicians to practice
6pm Meal
8pm Welcome Mass
9.30pm Grotto, night prayers

Sunday 27th July

9.15am Tour of the Domaine – hotel sick
11.45am Youth Pilgrimage photograph
2pm Preparation of Stations of the Cross
4.30pm Taking St Frai back from the Grotto Mass
5.30pm Meal
8pm Reconciliation service
Over 18s night

Monday 28th July

8.45am Grotto Mass, St Frai photo, taking them back to St Frai
2pm Stations of the Cross
4pm Blessed Sacrament Procession
5.30pm Meal
8pm Torchlight Procession – St Frai, not taking back

Tuesday 29th July

ST FRAI DAY
9am Arrive at St Frai to help in wards
1.15pm Take St Frai to Baths and stay with them all afternoon
2pm Small group to go to Youth Forum with Bishop Malone
5pm Meal
8pm Preparation of Coach Mass
OVER 18s NIGHT

Wednesday 30th July

8.15am International Mass – take St Frai down, not back
2pm Take St Frai shopping / talk with them in the St Frai
5.30pm Meal
8.40pm Holy Hour – St Bernadette’s Church
OVER 18s NIGHT

Thursday 31st July

DAY OFF!
5pm Coach Mass – Youth Village
8.20pm Torchlight Procession – all

Friday 1st August

5.30am Over 18s at St Frai
2pm Youth Departure Mass
4.30pm Coaches depart

The Story of Lourdes

Bernadette Soubirous was born in Lourdes on 7th January 1844. Her family was very poor, and lived in what was the town prison (The Cachot). Because of Bernadette’s poor health, she spent some of her childhood living with her aunt in Bartres, looking after sheep.At the age of 14 Bernadette returned to Lourdes to prepare for her First Communion. On Thursday 11th February 1858 Mary appeared to Bernadette while she was collecting firewood. At the sight of this beautiful lady, Berndatte knelt and prayed the Rosary, one of the few prayers that she knew. The lady did not speak, and when Bernadette’s prayer was finished, she vanished. This was the first of 18 apparitions during the next 5 months. Despite the crowds that gathered to watch each day, only Bernadette ever saw the lady.

Sometimes Mary spoke to her:

“I do not promise to make you happy in this world, but only in the next.”
“Pray for Sinners”
“Penance, Penance, Penance.”
“Go tell the priests to build a chapel here, and to come here in procession.”

On one occasion, Mary instructed Bernadette “Go and drink at the spring and wash in it”. The onlookers thought that Bernadette was insane as she dug in the ground and drank the muddy water, however the water eventually ran clear and became the source of the Baths and taps in the Domain.

The following day, a blind man, Louis Bouriette, washed in the spring and he was cured. This was the first of 62 cures that the Church Commissioners in Lourdes have recognised as miraculous.

The local clergy took much persuasion from Bernadette before they finally built a small chapel at the sight of the apparitions. Monsignor Peyramale oversaw the construction of a small church, on the top of the cliff above the Grotto. Since then many churches have been built, to cope with the increasing numbers of pilgrims.

Bernadette joined the closed order of the Sisters of Nevers to escape the attention of the crowds, leaving Lourdes for good 8 years after the apparitions. She was treated very harshly by the Mistress of Novices, and it was for her holiness during life in the convent that Bernadette was canonised as a saint 1933, 54 years after her death.

Roles of people in Lourdes

The Archdiocese of Liverpool pilgrimage to Lourdes involves around 2000 people, each with their own role and responsibility. It’s important to know who the people are that we are going to be working alongside, how they can help us, and how we can help them. Things don’t always go to plan, but at the end of the day we’re all on the same team!

Coach Leader

• Works with Pilgrimage Director to choose members of Staff
• Collects payment from young people
• Plans Preparation Meetings with Staff
• Meets with other Coach Leaders before the Pilgrimage, to discuss common issues
• In loco parentis- Legal responsibility for the safety of members of the coach group
• Responsible for ensuring young people are present for duties and services, etc.

Staff

• Work with the Coach Leader to ensure the safety of all young people on the Pilgrimage.
• Help plan coach preparation meetings

Plane Team

• Perform more specialised caring work in the St Frai
• Assist with care of St Frai pilgrims during the journey
• Join in main pilgrimage celebrations
• Join in Youth Pilgrimage celebrations

Over 18s

• Make themselves available for a number of shifts of practical work (e.g. serving food) and caring work in the St Frai
• Join in with the activities of the rest of the group when not ‘On Duty’
• Allowed to stay out for an extra hour some evenings
• Follow the same rules as the rest of the group

Hospitalité

• Provide caring and practical support for Liverpool St Frai pilgrims in and out of the St Frai
• Work as a team with Hospitalité members from other pilgrimages and Lourdes permanent staff
• Includes doctors and nurses

St Frai Pilgrims

• Travel to Lourdes to visit the Grotto and take part in the services
• Unable to look after themselves in one of hotels; may be seriously ill
• Don’t always want to do what is on the pilgrimage timetable

Youth Pilgrims

• Help the St Frai pilgrims to enjoy their pilgrimage
• Spend time with St Frai pilgrims and help them to get to and from celebrations

Chaplains

• Priests from around the Archdiocese come to Lourdes as part of parish groups
• Each coach on the Youth Pilgrimage has a chaplain on the staff
• Take part in the Diocesan celebrations
• Help with reconciliation services

Pilgrimage Director

• In overall charge of the safety of all young people on the Pilgrimage
• Responsible for booking hotels and coaches for each group
• Point of contact for all matters regarding the Youth Pilgrimage
• In charge of all Coach Leaders
• Works with Coach Leaders to choose Staff
• Responsible for the spiritual dimension of the Youth Pilgrimage (e.g. Youth Masses)
• Organises coach groups so that there are always enough young people for the needs of the St Frai pilgrims.