Sponsor...
...an Assisted Pilgrim
Lourdes is a place of healing and the sick play a central role on our pilgrimage. Many of the sick are unable to pay their costs in full and so need our support.
...our Medical Team
In order to take the sick to Lourdes we need to ensure there is appropriate care for them in place. The medical team consist of doctors and nurses who generously devote their annual leave to come and support our sick. Many of these need support to get to Lourdes to carry out this role.
...a Youth Helper
Being a Youth Helper ‘Redcap’ on our pilgrimage is a great experience for our young people and gives them an important opportunity to discover what it means to serve and love their neighbour. Many of our young people are unable to afford the pilgrimage without financial assistance from others and spend a lot of time fundraising to go.
...a Wheelchair
In order to support our Assisted Pilgrims in moving around Lourdes we have a supply of wheelchairs which need constant repair and renewal. Many of Westminster's wheelchairs were damaged by the Lourdes floods in 2013, and a large number of them have extreme wear and tear. A new wheelchair currently costs around £160 and there is now a great opportunity to have a dedicated plaque in memory of a beloved Lourdes supporter. Just click here to complete a Wheelchair Sponsorship form, and return it to the Pilgrimage Office, or by email to elizabethuwalaka@rcdow.org.uk so thank you in advance for supporting the Pilgrimage in this way.
Donations & Legacies
Donations towards the Westminster Diocese Lourdes Pilgrimage, using the reference 'Lourdes 2025', can also be made directly with the following Diocese of Westminster Pilgrimage bank account details:
Account name: The Westminster Roman Catholic Diocese Trustee
Account number: 41307649
Sort Code: 40-05-20
Bank name: HSBC UK Bank PLC
Adding Gift Aid to donations to UK charities makes your donations go further. All you need to do is confirm you are a UK taxpayer, resident in the UK using this form.
Leaving a legacy to the pilgrimage to Lourdes is a welcome support to our work. If you would like to leave a legacy then please contact our Pilgrimage Administrator on 0207 798 9173 or email lourdes@rcdow.org.uk
Fundraise
Fundraise in your community to help get an assisted pilgrim, a Medical Team volunteer, an adult helper or a Redcap youth volunteer from your Parish to Lourdes with the Diocese. A fundraising ideas pack is available from the Pilgrimage Office, so for materials and presentations, so if you want someone to come and give a free talk in your Parish or school, or if you want to speak to your Parish or organisation about the Westminster Lourdes Pilgrimage, get in touch with the Pilgrimage Office on 0207 798 9173 or email lourdes@rcdow.org.uk
The poster below invites you to lend your support to the Lourdes Pilgrimage with a joyful Family Christmas sing-a-long. Share this with parishioners, friends and family for guaranteed a fun event for all! Donations welcome:
Pilgrims at Home
Whether you are travelling on the pilgrimage or not, please keep all of our pilgrims in your prayers. You could offer a Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes or pray the rosary for the intention of the pilgrimage. The rosary is prayed at the grotto in English each day and you could join this via the Lourdes live-stream.
Lourdes Reunion Mass
The Lourdes Reunion Mass is celebrated at 6:30pm in the Westminster Cathedral Crypt every three months by one of our pilgrimage chaplains and is a great opportunity to meet up and reflect on our pilgrimage or look forward to the next one. Access to the Crypt is via the Westminster Cathedral Choir School gates on Ambrosden Avenue. The Mass is followed by a social in a nearby venue. The Reunion Mass will take place on the following dates over the coming year:
3rd September 2024
3rd December 2024
4th March 2025
3rd June 2025
We also have our annual Lourdes Mass at Westminster Cathedral which will take place on a date to be confirmed in February 2025.
Joining the pilgrimage from Home
Whilst we are in Lourdes we provide regular updates on our pilgrimage with daily videos and we also have a live-stream of many of our major liturgies. These will be available to view via the following link during our pilgrimage. LINK
Petitions for the Grotto
It is traditional to take our petitions and prayers to Our Lady when we visit Lourdes and to light a candle for those requests. The website of the sanctuary of Lourdes gives us the opportunity to place our petitions at the grotto even from far away, every day. This can be accessed via https://www.lourdes-france.org/en/intention-priere/
