On the 11th February 1858 Bernadette, her sister Toinette and a friend of theirs, Jeanne, went looking for wood on the meadows and led towards “the place where the canal rejoins the River Gave”. They were in front of the Grotto of Massabielle. Toinette and Jeanne crossed the icy water, crying out with the cold; Bernadette hesitated to do this because of her chronic asthma. She heard “a noise like a gust of wind”, but “none of the trees were moving”. “Raising her head, she saw, in a hollow of the rock a small young lady, who looked at her and who smiled at her. This was the first Apparition of the Virgin Mary.

The Middlesbrough Diocesan Lourdes Sick Fund has been in existence since the inception of the Pilgrimage in 1952 and is available specifically for the use of sick pilgrims in Lourdes and to aid any person who is unable to accompany us on pilgrimage due to financial reasons. All help is confidential and agreed by the Spiritual Director of the Pilgrimage.

The cost of taking one of our VIP’s to Lourdes is £550 which like everything else increases by about 5% per year.

The fund has been generously supported in the past and we are extremely grateful for that support, but we do need your help still. For this reason we are launching a new initiative ‘Friends of Lourdes’ where we are requesting a regular commitment from people on a monthly standing order basis. This could be increased by 27% by the use of covenanting which enables the fund to claim the extra funds from the Inland Revenue.

For example if 10 people gave £5.00 per month this would pay for one VIP .

To set up a regular payment to the Middlesbrough Diocesan Lourdes Sick Fund, please complete the attached form and return to Finance Department, Diocese of Middlesbrough, Curial Office, 50a The Avenue, Middlesbrough TS5 6QT.
Registered Charity Number: 233748

Designed in the form of “open arms” like the Rosary Basilica the Accueil Notre-Dame reminds us that, in Lourdes, everyone is made welcome and cared for.

Lourdes 2007 is almost with us again and this a gentle reminder of our last and main meeting before we depart. All, of course, are welcome even if not coming this year and we can also take the opportunity for a social gathering.

Lourdes is best known for its Grotto, the cave area in the Domain where Bernadette saw Mary and spoke to her. Over 6 million people a year visit the Grotto to pray there.

Maria Murphy, a Year Six pupil at St Peter’s School in Scarborough, completed the ‘Walk for Life’ on Sunday 25th March, an annual event in Scarborough held specifically for fundraising, and realised over £1,000 for the Lourdes Sick Fund - Coastal Region.

photo of Maria Murphy

Sunday 11th February saw the Annual Hull Lourdes Sick Fund Rally for Hull and district at the church of Our Lady of Lourdes and St Peter Chanel in Hull. Due to Bishop John being unwell, the principal celebrant was Canon Michael Loughlin, the Episcopal Vicar for the city of Hull and the East Riding.

Friday 25th 2007

16:30 Mass for pilgrims, St Cosmos and Damien Chapel

17:00 Mass for sick pilgrims, Accueil

21:00 Marian Torchlight Procession

Saturday 26th 2007

Morning Walking tours of Lourdes

11:00 Stations of the Cross, Bottom Stations

14:00 Opening Mass of the Pilgrimage, St Bernadette (Carmel)

17:00 Blessed Sacrament Procession, Underground Pius X

20:30 Welcome for Young Pilgrims, Hemicycle

21:00 Marian Torchlight Procession

Sunday 27th May 2007

Pentecost

10:00 Reconciliation Service, St Bernadette (Carmel)

14:00 Youth Mass, St Bernadette (Grotto)

17:00 Blessed Sacrament Procession, Underground Pius X

21:00 Marian Torchlight Procession

Monday 28th May 2007

9:45 Mass with other English speaking Pilgrimages, Grotto

Diocesan Photograph, Basilica Steps

14:00 Baths

17:00 Blessed Sacrament Procession, Underground Pius X

20:00 Holy Hour Taize, St Joseph’s Chapel

21:00 Marian Torchlight Procession

Tuesday 29th May 2007

10:30 Mass with Children’s Liturgy, St Bernadette (Carmel)

12:00 Excursion to Lac d’Estaing

17:00 Blessed Sacrament Procession, Underground Pius X

21:00 Youth Prayers, Hemicycle

21:00 Whole pilgrimage joins the Marian Torchlight Procession

Wednesday 30th May 2007

09:30 Youth Trip to Mountains

10:00 International Mass, Underground Pius X

13:30 Shopping and Leisure

17:00 Blessed Sacrament Procession, Underground Pius X

19:00 Youth Party, Solitude Hotel

21:00 Marian Torchlight Procession

Thursday 31st May 2007

10:30 Anointing Mass, St Bernadette (Grotto)

14:00 Closing Ceremony and Blessing, St Bernadette (Grotto)