Alex Wright and Laurent Etcheverry, two of Lacaze’s well known photographers and great friends of the Middlesbrough Pilgrimage, have created a website containing photos of our Pilgrimage taken since 2004. So, you can recall the delights and events of this year, or wander through the memories of other ones. You can find their site at:
www.middlesbrough2lourdes.com

It is with great sadness that we report the recent deaths of four of our VIPs (Very Important Pilgrims) who had formed a great part of our group during 2007 and 2008, and some for many years before that. Please remember in your prayers: John Thraves, Mary Clifford, Flo McCunnell and Deryn Morley, and for the consolation of their family and friends.
May they rest in peace.

The final two photographs taken by Les Clark at the Lourdes 2008 pilgrimage have been posted at gallery.mac.com/middlesbroughdiocese#100441

This year’s Diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes was a wonderful experience in this special year - 150 years since Our Lady appeared to Bernadette.

It is 50 years since I first went to Lourdes as a young woman with my mother. At that time, Middlesbrough and Leeds pilgrims travelled together by train. The first parish priest of Our Lady’s Church in York, Fr Edward Ward, had a great devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes and he began a savings scheme about 18 months before the pilgrimage was due to take place in May 1958. The train journey, as you can imagine, was quite long in those days and we sat up in our seats all through the night on the French train, trying to fall asleep. However, it was interesting seeing the countryside, especially as we drew closer to Lourdes.

A gallery of photos from Christine Renshaw and taken on the 2008 pilgrimage has been posted at gallery.mac.com/middlesbroughdiocese#100394

A gallery of Les Clark’s photos taken on the sixth full day of the 2008 pilgrimage has been posted at gallery.mac.com/middlesbroughdiocese#100436

A gallery of Les Clark’s photos taken on the fifth full day of the 2008 pilgrimage has been posted at gallery.mac.com/middlesbroughdiocese#100423

A gallery of Les Clark’s photos taken on the fourth full day of the 2008 pilgrimage has been posted at gallery.mac.com/middlesbroughdiocese#100412

A gallery of Les Clark’s photos taken on the third full day of the 2008 pilgrimage has been posted at gallery.mac.com/middlesbroughdiocese#100409

A gallery of Les Clark’s photos taken on the seconnd full day of the 2008 pilgrimage has been posted at gallery.mac.com/middlesbroughdiocese#100342