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Lourdes Pilgrimage 2012

Our next Pilgrimage takes place from 24 - 31 August 2012. Each year, the Catholic Association Hospitalité of Our Lady of Lourdes is responsible for coordinating the welcome and care of pilgrims, especially our assisted pilgrims, who come to Lourdes. You will require a PDF viewer to view most of these forms. Forms wil be live from January 2012. To view the forms click on the link. To save the forms, right click on the link and choose Save As.

Volunteer Helpers

Men and women of all ages and backgrounds come to Lourdes as volunteer helpers to answer Our Lady’s request for people to ‘come in procession’, but more importantly they come in response to the command of her son Jesus to love God and to love our neighbours as ourselves (Gospel of Mark 12:29-31).These volunteer-helpers, who are pilgrims themselves, strive to encounter Jesus in each pilgrim, caring for their physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. The CA Hospitalité includes doctors, nurses, and non-medical helpers: brancardiers (male) and handmaids (female).

Anyone who books through Tangney’s (our official travel agent) should receive their Helpers' Application Form when their booking is accepted. Or, if you are a Young Helper, please use the form below.

However, if you are travelling independently, please see below.

Brancardiers & Handmaids (non medical helpers)
Those who will be arranging their own travel and/or accommodation will need to fill in the helpers' application form and should also read the letter below. If you intend to travel with the Young Helpers Group, please do not fill in this form. The Young Helpers Group form is available below.

To volunteer as a brancardier or handmaid, please complete the below form and send it as soon as possible and by no later than 1 June 2012:

Minimum age for helping is 17 and there is no maximum age.

Nurses
If you would like to volunteer as a nurse on our Pilgrimage, please fill in the form below. All forms need to be returned to the Chief Nurse by 1 June 2012.

Doctors
If you would like to volunteer as a doctor on our Pilgrimage, please contact the Chief Medical Officer.

Young Helpers (age 17 - 25)
If you intend to travel with the Young Helpers Group, please fill in the below form and no other:

Families
Additionally, if you have children, the CA organises the Helpers' Children's Programme (HCP), which offers a programme of activities for the children (0 - 16) of helpers working on the Pilgrimage. It is generally open from 8.30 - 12 and 2 - 6 each day and your duties can be adjusted accordingly.

Families wishing to book their children in with HCP can download the form below. HCP accepts the children of helpers (handmaids, brancardier, nurses and doctors); it can also accept the children of Assisted Pilgrims on a case by case basis.

People wishing to volunteer with HCP are most welcome - you can download the form below. We have a preference for people who have come with the CA as a helper at least once before and who have experience of childcare/teaching/youth groups.

Please do not hesitate to contact HCP by email if you have any queries.

Music Group
If you want to volunteer as a full-time singer/musician, please contact the Director of Music: Mrs Judy Ball, 8 Farrow Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR5 8AH or by emailing Judy. It will also be possible to be a volunteer helper too.

Assisted Pilgrims

If you, or a friend/family member would like to come to Lourdes as an Assisted Pilgrim in 2012, please fill in the form below. Our Assisted Pilgrims are those who are ill or disabled, and would like to stay at the Accueil or a hotel, and will need assistance from our team of helpers.

Simply fill in the form below, or fill in a Tangney Tours form, and then will then send you a medical form. In contrast to previous pilgrimages, the Chief Medical Officer does not need you to complete this form if you do not wish to be registered as an assisted pilgrim in Lourdes. However, if you have a chronic medical condition which you feel would be beneficial for Dr Adam to know about, or are not sure whether to register as an assisted pilgrim or not, please view our PDF - Do I need to complete a medical form?

Financial help may be available, either through your Diocesan/Group Director, or through speaking to a member of the Hospitalité.

CA Hospitalité Members - your help

One of the important commitments we all make as Hospitalité members is to try and promote the CA Pilgrimage in our homes and parishes.

For our 2012 Pilgrimage (24 – 31 August), the CA Hospitalité is appealing for members to invite their friends, family members or fellow parishioners who might like to come to Lourdes as an assisted pilgrim, or as a volunteer helper.

We have produced a promotional poster and letter to appeal for new assisted pilgrims and volunteer helpers, and we would be grateful if members could place it in their local parish church, local school/university, or wherever they think people would be interested. We would also be grateful if each member could add themselves as a local contact in the space provided, so that people can enquire further; or if you would rather not be the local contact, please add your Diocesan/Group Director as the contact (click here for list).

If people contact you about the CA Pilgrimage, lots of information can be found on the CA website FAQ pages, or if they contact you to come as:

Download the promotional poster here.

If you would like to help the Council further in their promotion, please contact us here.

Thank you for your help!

CA Hospitalité Council,
December 2011

CA Stage

Why not consider a stage in May or August? Stage is a great opportunity and experience. It is well worth CA helpers trying out a stage at least once and discovering another side to Lourdes.

Pilgrims

If you are not planning to come as a volunteer helper or assisted pilgrim, please fill in the form below:

Further Information

 


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