Lourdes Pilgrimage

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Watch this space for the 2025 pilgrimage dates!

This July, 2024, a small group took part volunteering on the pilgrimage. Although we were a small group we had members of the parish involved in a variety of areas within the pilgrimage: Siobhan and Danielle worked with the ‘Red’s’ children’s group, Stephen was a Redcap Chaplain through the Westminster youth ministry course, Angelette and Wendoll were St Frai Team leaders and Sennett and Mary were Redcaps!
Read below to find out about their experience of the pilgrimage!

‘This year in Lourdes was my first as a team leader. After being both a St Frai redcap and a St Frai helper, it was nice to come back to the St Frai in a different capacity. I felt very privileged to be able to give the new redcaps the experiences I had a couple of years ago! Along with another team leader, I had a team of 28 redcaps, who were looking after their assisted pilgrims from the hospital. It was my first time as a team leader so at first it was a little nerve wracking, but confidence was definitely something that I was able to build on as the week progressed and I became more settled in the role. As a team leader it was my priority to look after the wellbeing of my redcaps, so that they were best able to look after their assisted pilgrims. This part of the role was the bit I enjoyed the most – getting to know all my redcaps, so that I could cater for their individual needs and give them the best experience and opportunities at Lourdes possible! However, my role as team leader also involved a lot of organisation and responsibility, ensuring that I knew where my team needed to be at any given time, liaising with group leaders to arrange meal timings and ensuring that my team could support the wider pilgrimage team when we were off duty. As part of this I enjoyed being able to represent my redcaps and advocate for them, whilst working with the larger team of St Frai helpers, brancardiers and handmaids at the hospital as well as the wider pilgrimage Westminster youth team. As usual, the week was filled with opportunities for spiritual reflection and I felt blessed to have such lovely chaplains to work with in my team who really allowed me to grow closer to God but in a way that was relatable to me and our redcaps. The week is busy and full of a range of experiences from mass in the trees, to meeting the Cardinal, to confession services in the mountain at Saint- Savin as well as socials in the evenings to relax and get to know other young people people and priests on the pilgrimage! I hope I will be able to go back in coming years as I really did find it so rewarding and I would recommend considering being a team leader to anyone who’s been a redcap twice and is 18+!!’
ANGELETTE

Back in November, I joined Westminster Diocese’s Upper Room program, a course focused on developing young Catholic leaders. This course concluded in the Lourdes pilgrimage, serving as a Chaplain to the Red Caps. As this was my first time ever going to Lourdes, initially, I was pretty nervous and didn’t really want to go. I wasn’t that bothered, and really only went  considering it’s something different and I’ll probably never do it again.
How wrong I was. Lourdes has not only proved me wrong but made me even more passionate about my faith. I was inspired by how many people were committed to making this pilgrimage, despite every and all circumstances, showing how strong their faith can be. I was also amazed and pleased to see so much growth amongst the Red Caps. Like me, many originally weren’t that bothered, but by the end of the week, after experiencing the beauty that Lourdes had to offer, I can safely say that they all walked away a stronger person than they were before.
My role as a chaplain was not only to support and guide the Red Caps, but also to encourage and strengthen them in their own faith. This meant meetings everyday, engaging in activities, leading prayer, but also just being present. In summary, Lourdes is a beautiful beautiful place, and I believe that everyone should go at least once, whether as a volunteer or pilgrim, just to experience it all. Thanks to Our Lord for a smooth pilgrimage, and I’m sure I’ll be back in the future.

STEPHEN

Neil and William speaking to us on the Journey to Lourdes 2023.
In 2023 6 young adults from the parish travelled to Lourdes.
William, Neil, Michael and Ellie worked as hotel redcaps.
Maddie worked as a redcap for the St Joseph’s group.
Wendoll worked as redcap Team Leader.

Siobhan led the Reds (children’s) group and Ryan was part of the Red’s group.

‘The most enjoyable part of the week was meeting the pilgrims and helping the pilgrims to have the best week possible, making new friendships with the redcaps and hearing inspiring stories about the pilgrims lives.’ – Maddie

‘The most challenging part of the trip, as this was my 1st time being a team leader, everyday was a challenge for me to make sure I have enough red caps for the pilgrims. I also had to ensure my team get enough rest so they can recover from the work done during the day. I did also get loads of help from everyone so have learnt a lot about being a team leader.’ – Wendoll

‘Going to Lourdes is honestly such an amazing experience and can have such a impact on your outlook of your faith or even your life. You make such amazing connections between the pilgrims and redcaps, some of which I hope I’ll keep for life. While it can be hard work pushing wheelchairs around all day we have socials in the evening to help you relax and have fun which only add to why it’s fun. There’s also a chance to take a trip outside of the town with your pilgrims for instance this year I went to Gavarnie a town along the Pyrenees mountains, which has some amazing views.
All in all I can’t recommend enough joining and taking part on this trip, it’s quite a life changer and seriously rewarding and I can’t wait to hopefully go next year!’ – Ellie

Lourdes is a small town in the foothills of the French Pyrenees. It was here in 1858 that the little shepherd girl Bernadette Soubirous encountered Mary, Mother of God, in the grotto of Massabielle by the Gave de Pau river. It was here that Mary revealed herself to the world as the Immaculate Conception and asked Bernadette that a church be built and that people come in procession. It is to this place that we are invited to follow in the footsteps of the tens of millions of pilgrims who have come in procession for more than 150 years to meet with Mary at the Grotto, to be refreshed in body and soul by the waters of its spring, and to be led to her Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour.

The last pilgrimage took place in July 2023 and there were a group of 6 young adults from the parish in attendance.

If you are a young adult / adult looking for ways to be involved in the pilgrimage please read the information below and get in contact with Siobhan.

How can young people be involved?
There are various roles that young people can take on:
Hotel RedCap (age 16+) –
Hotel RedCaps are hospitality members whose duties are typically situated between the various Lourdes hotels and the Domain (the Sanctuary surrounding the grotto). The Hotel RedCap duties can vary, depending on the requirements of pilgrims at that particular time. They can include working for the Lourdes authorities in an official capacity, taking part in a procession and carrying banners, socialising with the sick and assisting them by pushing wheel chairs, or taking part in liturgies during services and masses.
St Frai RedCap (age 16+) –
As with Hotel assisted pilgrims, St Frai assisted pilgrims also require RedCap assistance to travel to and from the St Frai during the pilgrimage. However, for logistical reasons, coupled with the fact that the St Frai operate to a slightly different pilgrimage timetable and a shift-based work schedule, the normal Hotel RedCap teams are unable to provide the required service. Therefore, a dedicated team of RedCaps are assigned to work in the St Frai.
Team Leader (age 18+ with at least two years experience working on the pilgrimage) –
On arrival in Lourdes, RedCaps are allocated a Team and a Team Leader. Team Leaders have a variety of responsibilities including allocating duties, liaising with group leaders and pilgrimage management and supporting the assisted pilgrims entrusted to them.
The role of a team leader also extends into preparation, planning and development of the pilgrimage.
St Frai Helper (age 18+) –
Some of the sick pilgrims in most need of support and medical care stay in a hospital like building called the Accueli St Frai in the centre of Lourdes. It is well-equipped for their care and they are looked after by a team of Doctors, Nurses and volunteer St Frai helpers.
The role of a St Frai helper is to support the nurses in providing the sort of care for which you do not need a medical qualification eg: helping pilgrims get up and reading in the morning, making tea, cleaning the wards, taking pilgrims to various pilgrimage events, socialising with them and putting them to bed at night. The timetabe is shared across two shifts.
Doctors and Nurses are also invited to assist with the pilgrimage.
There is a group called Reds which is for children / families. Some of our 18+ volunteers have worked with this group in the past. Their role has included leading games and activities and working with the team to engage the children in the liturgy. This role is a lot of fun.

In the past the group of young adults from our parish travelled to Lourdes to work as RedCaps with the Diocese pilgrimage with funding from the Jubilee Trust, the SVP, the Catenians, the Jack Petchey foundation, the Alistair Roberts Memorial Fund and our own fundraising events supported by members of the parish and school and the wider community through donations of raffle prizes. The young people found this experience rewarding and moving and we know that the assisted pilgrims were extremely grateful for their presence and hard work. If you are over 16 and would like to be a RedCap please contact Siobhan on 07908111796 and look out for the adverts in the newsletter.

Information from the Diocese can be found on this link: https://rcdow.org.uk/pilgrimages/lourdes/

A message from one of our RedCaps – James Plumb

‘ I was very fortunate to be able to attend the Lourdes Pilgrimage 2019 as a redcap. It was such a memorable and uplifting experience. We helped the Pilgrims as soon as we arrived at the airport, helping them through security, keeping them and their belongings safe. This gave me a sense of responsibility, not only was this the first time I had travelled alone I also was responsible for a vulnerable person. Lourdes itself was amazing, so different from what I had envisaged. The grounds were spectacular and peaceful giving both myself and the Pilgrim who I was assigned to time to reflect. My personal highlight was seeing the grotto for my own eyes. We had some lovely outdoor youth masses which brought us all closer together as a group. We had time to socialise and relax in the evenings with all the Westminster diocese redcaps. Overall, a life-changing experience and I would encourage anybody to go.’

We are very proud of two of our RedCaps – William and Neil – who won the Caritas Volunteer of the Year Group Award with the team they worked with in Lourdes July 2022.