Two stalwarts from the Middlesbrough Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes, south-west France, have retired. They are long-serving spiritual director, Fr Brian Nicholson, of St Augustine’s, Redcar and Paul Griffiths, of Acklam, Middlesbrough, who has led a team of male helpers called brancardiers for ten years.
Both were thanked for their work with the pilgrimage at the annual social held at the Marton Hotel and Country Club on Friday 25th July, when about £3,000 was raised for next year’s week in the shrine-town.
Fr Nicholson, who is also retiring in September as parish priest at St Augustine’s, having reached the normal retirement age of 75, said he had enjoyed his years helping the pilgrimage, including his spell as spiritual director. “I hope to continue to travel to Lourdes when I officially retire when I hope to be of service to brother-priests. I’ll continue to live in the diocese.”
Hull-born Fr Nicholson has been a regular helper with the pilgrimage since his teen years when he was a brancardier, who are known as ‘brancs’. He was deputy to spiritual director Canon Dan Spaight, of Christ the King, Thornaby, until taking on the post.
Mr Griffiths, 58, a hydraulics engineer, said he had been helped by both Fr Nicholson and his fellow-brancardiers - they had grown in number and their average age-range had fallen. “It’s been an honour to lead such an incredible group of men - numbering 75 at the pilgrimage in May - doing the worthwhile work we undertake.” Since the annual visits to Lourdes started in 1952, some 381 men have served as ‘brancs’.
Bishop Terry Drainey is expected to announce successors to both Fr Nicholson and Mr Griffiths soon.
Fr Nicholson has served at St Joseph’s, Middlesbrough, the John Paul Centre in the town centre, at Market Weighton and Howden, in the south of the diocese, and at St Augustine’s since 2000.
Michael Morrissey
