THE CATHOLIC ASSOCIATION GO TO LOURDES

Eight hundred members of this year's Catholic Association Pilgrimage went to Lourdes last week.    More than one hundred were from the Portsmouth Diocese, including assisted pilgrims and their nursing staff. 

At social occasions, both arranged and informal, the pilgrims got to know each other.   One pilgrim was Bishop Crispian, who seemed very relaxed, assured us that his most recent scan had shown no secondary problems, and chatted with all his fans, young and not-so-young. 

Sunday's International Mass was concelebrated in the great underground St Pius X Basilica by Cardinal Dias and almost two hundred other bishops and priests.    The 25,000 seats were all taken some time before the ceremony began, and thousands more stood round the outside and on the surrounding internal roadway.

 Pilgrims came from all parts of the world, and many of the Europeans had made long overnight journeys by road.   About half an hour before Mass began  we spotted this exhausted group of youngsters flat out in the furthest corner of the basilica, trying to snatch a few minutes rest before taking their places.

 

After every ceremony the wheelchairs moved out in groups.   The pilgrimage director of the diocese of Rouen obviously believes in training his leading brancardiers at the earliest possible age.

We are good most of the time, but when challenged to find something tackier than the clockwork pope which when really wound up delivers a full papal blessing, we cannot resist the temptation.  So here is our entry, found within the domaine itself, surrounding a fine carved statue of the young Bernadette.    It is a  flock of glossy moulded sheep, like some monster children's farmyard set, gently grazing on the roof of the Basilica Pius X, who, fortunately, having been canonised, can presumably no longer turn over in his grave.

But there's nothing tacky about this line-up.    These patient pilgrims are waiting for the opportunity to pass into the grotto where Bernadette went to collect driftwood, and feel the actual rock above which Our Lady appeared.   Petitions from Lymington parishioners were among those placed by us in the "intentions" box.  

 Our Lady's first request was for processions to be arranged, and that is done here every day.   Here the Portsmouth contingent are walking behind one of our brancardiers proudly bearing the banner, and two handmaids wheeling assisted pilgrims.    It's not always as tidy as this!

Once the procession is under way we raise our candles to salute and honour Our Blessed Lady, and it's easy to forget about vehicular traffic coming alongside.    A careless collision with a thoughtlessly directed wheelchair can result in a nasty case of Lourdes ankle!

 

The nightly torchlight procession is the most popular event of the day.   The candles aren't really bright enough to allow us to capture the eight hundred yards of the main part of the procession up to St Michael's Gate and back, but the front of it can be seen on the right just entering the Rosary Basilica courtyard, while on the left the rear part of the procession is still leaving the grotto area. 

The moving finale which begins when all the pilgrims have returned to the main square includes the singing of the Salve Regina and the Credo.     Most evenings this is  followed by Mass at the Grotto for those who are able to keep awake that long!     This pilgrimage has been a truly memorable experience, as well as being a very special way of venerating Our Lady.