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Dublin Diocesan Hospitalité
The Dublin Diocesan Hospitalité is the formal name for the
organisation of helpers that travel to Lourdes with our pilgrimage.
The Hospitalité consists of the following groups:
- Doctors
- Nurses
- Brancardiers - the male volunteer helpers
- Handmaids - the female volunteer helpers
The Hospitalité takes responsibility for the care of our Sick
pilgrims, making this the primary focus of everybody's efforts in
Lourdes. The Helpers Council look after the
day-to-day running & planning for our pilgrimage.
For the 2007 Pilgrimage, the senior members of the
Hospitalité were:
| Chief Medical Officer: |
Matron: |
Chief Brancardier: |
Chief Handmaid: |
| Dr Bernard Walsh |
Ms Rosaleen Molloy |
Mr Ken McKinley |
Ms Annette Winston |
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Each of the people above control a specific area of the
Hospitalité, and are in charge of ensuring the smooth running
of that area. They have nominated assistants and work with the
various committees to ensure that our Sick are cared for in the best
way possible.
All the Diocesan Hospitalités around the world are affiliated
to the Lourdes Hospitalité, which looks after the Domaine and
all activities within it, from the cleaning and care of the
buildings to stewarding the various ceremonies that take place.
Every helper who travels to Lourdes with Dublin for three years or
more becomes an official member of our Hospitalité. Every
member receives a service medal, pictured. 
Recently a new award has been instituted, one given to helpers who have completed 25 years' service with our Hospitalité. This is designed to honour all those who have given sterling service to the Pilgrimage and have led the way in caring for our Sick Pilgrims in Lourdes.
The service medal on the right is a silver one, which is presented
on completion of five year's service. A bronze medal is presented on
completion of three year's service. It's important to state that
these medals are not "awards" in the conventional sense,
they are badges of experience and a sign of the wearer's commitment
to serving the Sick in Lourdes.
The medal itself has the words "Hospitalité Dublin"
on front, above and below a representation of the Salus Infirmorum,
a statue located within the Domaine in Lourdes. This directly links
the wearer of the medal to service to the Sick.
A lot of people wear two other badges on the ribbon, which are not
strictly part of the medal itself. One is the official Dublin
Pilgrimage badge, which consists of the Dublin City crest on the top
left and a Celtic cross on the top right, with the Notre Dame de
Lourdes crest below.
The second badge is a silver, more complex representation of the
Notre Dame de Lourdes crest. A tradition has developed about this
badge, in that you never buy one for yourself. Someone will buy one
and quietly give it to you in the minutes, hours or days after you
receive your medal.
The medals are presented on a special occasion, officially called
the Welcome to New Members of the Hospitalité, but normally
known as simply the Medal Ceremony. Below is a photo of His Grace
Archbishop Martin presenting Shirley with her silver medal:
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