This year was not the first time I had taken part in the Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes: I had been previously as part of the Newlands group in 1998 and also with a group of college friends, taking part in the music group in 2000, so I thought I knew what to expect, but this year turned out to be very different.
Some things, however, never change. There is still to be seen a vast array of shops selling ‘tat’, there are still the friendly faces smiling as you walk down the streets and this year, as in my first year, there was still the torrential rain! Throughout the week, I heard people complaining about the rain, I even complained about the rain on more than one occasion, but it did not stop the spirit of Lourdes and it even started a few new fashion trends!
Throughout the whole wet week, the young pilgrims were absolute stars! Whenever they were on duty with our VIPs, the sick pilgrims, they arrived at the Accueil, in spite of the very early hours, with a smile on their faces. They listened attentively to the instructions they were given and the requests that were made of them. Even in the pouring rain, they were just happy to be there and to be able to talk to the VIPs and help them to enjoy their time in Lourdes. This is a side of Lourdes I had not been party to before: of course, I had known that I and the groups I’d travelled with had enjoyed ourselves and gained much from the experience. I had not, however, realised how much every single young person gives of themselves that week and how much they do for others. It was a joy to see.
The experience of Lourdes as Youth Manager proved to be very different from my previous times there. No matter how well planned and organised any venture is, and I assure you, there had been an enormous amount of planning before the pilgrimage, problems still occur. Inevitably there were problems to face and resolve during our time there. There was also less time to fulfil my spiritual needs during the week. None of these things detracted from the pilgrimage; along with my fellow pilgrims I had a successful and enjoyable week. What really made it was seeing the delight on the faces of the young people as they were working and hearing from them that they too had a great time and want to come back again.
Fiona Moffat, Diocesan Youth Manager
