Nurses

Welcome to the Catholic Association Nurses information page! With the Doctors and the other helpers (Handmaids and Brancardiers) the Nurses work as volunteers for a week of pilgrimage in Lourdes.

The Catholic Association Pilgrimage is usually during the last week in August of each year and welcomes people from all over – but especially from the diocese of Clifton, East Anglia, Northampton, Portsmouth, Southwark and Stonyhurst College and the British Province of Carmelites. We are represented on various other pilgrimage bodies, such as the British Lourdes Nurses Association.

As a Nurse on our pilgrimage, you will be expected to have current registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and be prepared to have clearance from the Criminal Records Bureau. In addition to trained Nurses we welcome student nurses who will work under supervision. If you are a retired Nurse, we would welcome you as a volunteer within the Pilgrimage.

You should have your own indemnity insurance. Some professional organisations, such as the Royal College of Nursing, include this as part of your membership. You will also need an EHIC card, current passport, and if yours is not a British or European one, you may need a visa. Our Tour Operator, Tangney Tours will be able to give you advice on this and many other details of our pilgrimage, or you can apply through your diocese and they will be able to advise you.

We warmly welcome you to work with us, in a voluntary capacity, though through fundraising it may be possible to help you with your expenses. Some Nurses stay in hotel accommodation for the week and some stay in hostel type accommodation.

Our uniform is a white polo top discreetly emblazoned with our logo, which is worn with your own black or navy trousers. A white dress can be worn if you wish. These are especially useful for processions. We have several of the polo tops but we do not have a large stock of dresses so it is preferable to bring your own.

Retired and student Nurses will wear a grey polo top in place of the white.

Nurses volunteer to supervise those who are registered as ‘sick pilgrims’ (referred to as our assisted pilgrims) who may stay either in a hotel or in the Accueil (where medical and personal care is provided).

If you wish to join us please contact our pilgrimage’s Chief Nurse via email at chief_nurse@catholicassociation.co.uk or through Tangney Tours or your Diocesan Director. On receipt of your request we will be able to give you further details of our pilgrimage and what your role will involve.

The nurses are led by the Chief Nurse (currently Rachel Easton ).