|
|
What do we do in Lourdes?
The bottom line on this question is this: we look after the pilgrims
who travel with us. This involves physical care - washing, dressing,
moving around the town - and support, which is simply talking to
people and trying to ensure they get the most out of their trip to
Lourdes.
The photo above shows an essential part of Lourdes, just sitting and
talking to people. It's this side of Lourdes that an be the hardest.
Below is a timetable of a typical day:
| 6:15am |
Ward teams on Duty |
| 6:45am |
Breakfast |
| 7:15am |
Assemble for to Grotto |
| 8:00am |
Procession from Statue of the Crowned Virgin to the Grotto |
| 10:15am |
Pilgrimage Photograph |
| 11:45am |
Lunch |
| 1:00pm |
Assemble for move to Prairie |
| 1:30pm |
Stations of the Cross on Prairie |
| 3:00pm |
Afternoon Tea |
| 3:30pm |
Assemble for Blessed Sacrament Procession |
| 6:30pm |
Supper |
| 8:45pm |
Torchlight Procession |
| 9:30pm |
Night Tea |
| 9:45pm |
Night Prayers |
| 10:00pm |
Accueil Closes |
As you can see, there's never a dull moment, and the working day is
pretty long.
There's a lot of other things to do, as you can see in the photo
below, where Paul is putting that Engineering degree to use by
fixing a puncture!
Another side of the work we do in Lourdes involves taking part in
ceremonies with all the other nationalities there. Below is a photo
of the closing procession of our 1999 pilgrimage, bringing the
candle to the Grotto.
As our Sick enter the Grotto they pass through a Guard of Honour
formed by the Colleges Volunteer Corps, holding the Pilgrimage
flags, as you can see below. This is always an emotional time, as it
is the last visit to the Grotto we make on our pilgrimage each year.
|
|