The annual feast of Our Lady of Lourdes Mass was celebrated on 9 February at Westminster Cathedral by Bishop Alan Hopes. During the Mass the Sacrament of the Sick was administered by Bishop Sherrington and Bishop Alan Hopes.

The Homily was given by Bishop Alan Hopes who spoke about Blessed John Paul II’s illness and said: “Like so many people who are suffering through sickness or advanced years, he made his way as a pilgrim to entrust himself to Our Lady’s prayers. At the Grotto, during his visit, he said these words:

“‘I am here with you dear brothers and sisters, as a pilgrim to Our Lady. I make my own, your prayers and your hopes. With you I share a time of life marked by physical suffering, yet not for that reason any less fruitful in God’s wondrous plan.’”

“The thing that captivated the world as they watched Blessed John Paul in his declining years was how he never gave up. Despite frailty and suffering, he continued to give himself and to maintain his witness and his devotion. Those beautiful words resonate in our hearts again today as we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes here in the Cathedral.”