Going To Lourdes


Pilgrimage

Travelling to Lourdes is a wonderful experience full of fun, companionship, faith, friendship and laughter. Each person on our pilgrimage brings distinctive gifts and graces with them, benefitting those they meet during the week.


What do we do during our Pilgrimage Week?


We have a daily programme of events which includes a number of Masses and liturgies in different settings, with different themes. Bishop Richard celebrates a Mass of welcome for everyone and opening ceremony, where everyone is invited to have their hands blessed in recognition of the service we offer each other as we make our pilgrimage together. We also celebrate Mass at the Grotto where we remember friends and family members who have died, and a Mass of farewell shortly before we leave Lourdes. There is a Holy Hour during the week, a time for Lectio Divina, and many other opportunities for private and group prayer at the Grotto and in the Sanctuary.

What We Do During our Week


We participate in two processions in honour of Our Lady’s wish for us to travel to Lourdes on pilgrimage; the Blessed Sacrament Procession and the Torchlight Procession. Both these processions occur daily and attract hundreds of pilgrims.

A number of other activities take place during our week away including; a special party for our younger children, a garden party with ice-cream, a music concert performed by our talented musicians and celebrations in each hotel at the end of the week.

We participate in several large Sanctuary events, including the International Mass, where 15,000 Lourdes pilgrims from around the world gather together to celebrate Sunday Mass.

How To Get Involved

How to get involved?

The following videos explore what it is like to come on pilgrimage with us including explaining the various roles that are available during our time away. Those who need help to get to Lourdes and varying levels of support during our week away travel with us as Assisted Pilgrims, there are also (amongst others) our Family Groups, Redshirts and our Able Pilgrims who join us for a week of prayer and reflection.

How to Apply

You can visit the Grotto of Lourdes online every day via their TV Lourdes service with the Rosary prayed each day at 2pm UK time.

Applications open each year in January, here on our website. If you are unable to complete an online form you can contact us for a paper copy. We usually travel to Lourdes by plane, coach and jumbulance. Our Clinical Leadership and Pilgrimage Office team look carefully at the needs of all our pilgrims, allocating the most appropriate transport and accommodation on the basis of need. On arrival in Lourdes, we stay at a number of hotels, each ‘hotel group’ includes up to sixty pilgrims who form tight bonds throughout our week together. Our family groups stay together, as do our Redshirts and Young Helpers.