Lourdes Pilgrimage 2024 Press the play button on the top right of the image above to watch breathtaking drone footage of the Sanctuary at Lourdes. Courtesy of Drone Presta. Monday 27 May to Saturday 1 June 2024 Book Now The annual Diocesan pilgrimage will be returning to Lourdes under the leadership of His Grace, Archbishop Bernard Longley and Bishop David Evans. Please pray for all those considering joining this year’s pilgrimage to Lourdes, as they will be praying for you. You can view photos and other coverage from the 2023 pilgrimage under the Lourdes Daily box below. For emails with news and updates on this pilgrimage as well as future pilgrimages and all things Lourdes, please sign up to our Lourdes mailing list: Lourdes Pilgrimage Mailing List To enquire about this year's pilgrimage please contact Kath White: 0121 230 6288 (office hours 9am – 5pm Monday – Friday) or via email [email protected] Join the Music Ministry in Lourdes Whether you enjoy singing or plan to bring an instrument, The Lourdes Music Ministry Team would love you to join them on pilgrimage this year. No prior experience needed, and commit to whatever you feel you can do. To receive a full list of sheet music contact Jobe Sullivan at [email protected] The group will meet in person at St Catherine of Siena church, Bristol Street in Birmingham, during the evening of Thursday 16 May. They will also be at the Blessing of Hands Mass, on Sunday 19 May at St Chad's Cathedral, rehearsing from 1pm (before Mass), if you wish to join. 'Why Lourdes?' In a series of six short videos pilgrims share their experiences of why they made the journey to Lourdes, as we look ahead to this year's Diocesan Pilgrimage. From school students to carers, nurses and doctors, all of our volunteers play a crucial role in delivering a successful pilgrimage. Could you be one this year? Video Six: It's a family affair as three sisters from the same family took on the role of hospitaliers/helpers last year (they have in fact been assisting in Lourdes for decades!). The trio were part of a family party of 12 in Lourdes in 2023 and definitely have the 'Lourdes bug'! Meet Geraldine, Pauline and Elizabeth who are drawn to Lourdes each year due to their devotion to Our Lady. Video Five: Doctors Devan and Charlie, and Nurse Lorretta, talk about their roles as part of last year's Medical Team in Lourdes. Video Four: Shelagh, Emily and Stephanie talk about their roles as Carers whilst in Lourdes. Doctors, nurses and carers volunteer their time – along with young people from across our schools – to look after the assisted pilgrims (those who may require support with their personal or medical care or transit around during the pilgrimage) attending Lourdes. Video Three: Husband and wife Kevin and Jane Goodyear talk about their years of service at the Lourdes Pilgrimage. During the 2023 Pilgrimage they each received the Benemerenti medal for their service to the Catholic Church. The couple, from Our Lady of the Angels parish, Nuneaton, encourage everyone who has the opportunity to go to Lourdes to take it. Video Two: Some of our young people and a member of staff from St Joseph's College, Trent Vale, Stoke-on-Trent, share their experiences of taking on the role of a hospitalier (helper). Video One: Three of our Diocesan schools are represented in this video as students and a teacher share their experience of Lourdes. Watch! Archbishop Bernard welcomes pilgrims at the beginning of the 2023 pilgrimage Pilgrimage theme The Sanctuary of Lourdes is suggesting as a pastoral theme the words that Mary, the Mother of God, entrusted to Bernadette Soubirous on 2nd March 1858: “Go tell the priests to build a chapel here and that people should come in procession.” 2022 – “Go and tell the priests…” 2023 – “…to build a chapel here…” 2024 – “…and that people should come in procession.” By coming to the Grotto of Lourdes to meet a very young girl, the Virgin Mary formed part of themoving story of God's love for humanity. And she herself is the chosen being of this story, sinceshe is the only human person who is able to say, “I am the Immaculate Conception”. This is why this remarkable story of Mary and Bernadette is enlightened, more than any other,by the Holy Scriptures, and the Teachings of the Church, but also by the experience of theLourdes pilgrims who live them out time and time again. As in God’s other interventions reported in the Bible, the meeting of Mary and Bernadette camefrom a place that showed the height of their humanity. It was by having love as their focus thatthe “Lady” and the young child were not only fully themselves, but that they also allowed Christto be present with them. Manage Cookie Preferences