We are pleased to announce planning for the Lourdes Pilgrimage in 2024 is now well underway.

The annual diocesan pilgrimage will take place from Monday 27 May to Saturday 1 June 2024 under the leadership of His Grace, Archbishop Bernard Longley and Bishop David Evans.

Applications for doctors, nurses, carers, hospitaliers (handmaid – female non-medical helper, brancardier – male non-medical helper) are now open.

You can also make booking enquiries and find out more about what the pilgrimage entails.

The Sanctuary of Lourdes has suggested 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.”

The theme for 2024 is – “…and that people should come in procession.”

Every year (apart from the Covid pandemic years) hundreds of people from across the Archdiocese have joined together for the spiritual journey to be with Our Lady. 

Doctors, nurses and carers have volunteered 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 and for many it has been a life-changing experience which they repeat year-after-year.

Each Lourdes pilgrimage also brings new volunteers into the pilgrimage family – all are welcome to answer the call from Our Lady.

Archbishop Bernard said: “Every pilgrimage to Lourdes is very special for the individuals who come here. But to be here as a group is also really important because it's a place where we can witness to our faith to one another but also draw inspiration from all the other pilgrims who come here from around the world.

“Our Lady has invited us to come here to be close to Jesus Christ so that we can strengthen our own mission as we go back to our homes and our churches. So here in Lourdes we never know exactly what we will encounter but the important thing is it's time with the Lord, it's time with one another in company with Mary.

“We keep one another in prayer during pilgrimage and especially we pray for the sick, who are very much a part of our pilgrimage to Lourdes. We pray that the Lord will continue to strengthen all those who are in particular need at this time. These and many other intentions we bring to our Lady of Lourdes and the prayers of St Bernadette.”

Attend Lourdes as a pilgrim or join as a volunteer

Look back at the Lourdes Pilgrimage 2023