On Tuesday, the pilgrimage moved to St Bernadette's parish church of Sacre-Coeur for Mass in the morning. In the afternoon, the Anointing of the Sick was administered. In this video, Cardinal Vincent introduces the day's events and their significance for all pilgrims, both here in Lourdes and at home. A round-up of the day's events follows.
With the morning Mass at Sacre-Coeur in town, pilgrims had an uphill climb, literally, to get there. The young helpers of the pilgrimage, known as the Redcaps, stood out as heroes for cheerfully pushing their malades up all the way to the church in time for Mass.
The principal celebrant of the Mass was Bishop Nicholas and Cardinal Vincent delivered the homily. They reminded us that the Bernadette was baptised in the same font that stood at the back of this church.
Cardinal Vincent noted that baptisms were important celebrations, as this one was, and it was made more significant by the fact that it took place on the same day as her parents' wedding anniversary. He stressed that we should all know strive to find out where our baptism took place, as it is the place where we were born into the life of Christ.
He went on to speak about the importance of parish life in Bernadette's life. Despite the extraordinary events and controversy that came to dominate her life, Bernadette's life was centred around the parish. It was where she came week by week, to attend Mass, hear the Word of God and be nourished by the Eucharist. He said that we too following her example should focus on the Mass as that is where we learn to meet the Lord and place him at the centre of our lives.
After lunch,one group of pilgrims followed the Stations of the Cross, led by Father Fortunato Pantisano of Feltham parish. They followed the Low Stations (there is another set called the High Stations, which trails up into the mountains, but wheelchairs aren't allowed on these).
In the meantime, the Redcaps, led by the Youth Ministry team, spent part of the afternoon in catechesis away from the town. They heard from Tim Mangatal, a seminarian talking about his experience of Lourdes and how he felt called to the priesthood. Fr David Reilly then explained the meaning of true freedom, which can only be found in obedience to the will of God.
A little later in the afternoon, many pilgrims took part in a service of the Anointing of the Sick. No pilgrimage to Lourdes would be complete without this very moving liturgy. Several of the priests who have accompanied the pilgrimage were present administering the anointing. In a brief homily, Mgr Jim Curry explained that the anointing is very much about experiencing the healing touch of the Lord through the Sacrament to help us carry our burdens.
Also present among us this week is a group of seminarians who have come to serve in various capacities. Prior to answering the call to priesthood, they followed various paths on their journey.
A notable example is Mike Maguire who had joined the pilgrimage for several years as chief nurse. Mike was at that time working in London as an A and E nurse. A few years ago he felt God was calling him to the priesthood and now Mike has just finished his third year at Allen Hall and has recently been admitted to candidacy.
This evening, we joined the torchlight procession where, along with the National Welsh Pilgrimage, we led the procession. It is always a spectacle with banners of different dioceses from different countries, and prayers and hymns sung in different languages, but all united in the love and service of the Lord.
More photos of the day and of the other days of the pilgrimage can be found here.
