This coming Friday, 11 February 2022, is World Day of the Sick, intended for ‘prayer and sharing, of offering one's suffering for the good of the Church and of reminding everyone to see in his sick brother or sister the face of Christ’. The day was instituted on 13 May 1992 by Pope John Paul II and is celebrated on February 11, and is also the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.

In the build-up to World Day of the Sick, Radio Maria is broadcasting a Novena. This includes, on Wednesday, 9 February, at 9.30am, a reflection by Chief Nurse Tina Quinn on how her faith impacts her work as a nurse.

If you would like to listen, you can follow the link here, and click ‘listen here’ on the right hand side of the webpage.

Furthermore, you may have seen an email from Brendan Roche, who together with Joanna Roche, will be saying the rosary for the safe and successful return to Lourdes of the CA pilgrimage on Friday 11 February at 8pm via Zoom. All are welcome, so please send us an email to receive the link to join us!

Also on Friday, there will be International Mass broadcast at 10am, and the Rosary broadcast at 3.30pm from the Grotto in Lourdes, which can be accessed via the link here.

Virtual Pilgrimage 2022

On Monday we took part in the Blessed Sacrament Procession

We processed through the Grotto following our Pilgrimage photo

Here you will find as much content as we can provide from those of us in Lourdes! Below we have the Mass from the Cité St Pierre, in the Cathedral of the Trees, as well as images from each of our days in Lourdes.

The View of Lourdes from the Cathedral of the Trees

Preparations for the Pilgrimage Photo on Tuesday morning

Our Grotto Mass happened on Tuesday morning

Day 1, Friday 20th August
2pm Opening Address from Bishop Paul Hendricks, Chairman of the Catholic Association
6pm Welcome from the Stonyhurst Pilgrimage Trust from Dr Nuala Mellows, Chairman
8pm Friday Night Prayers from Stonyhurst College

Day 2, Saturday 21st August

10am A Reflection for our Pilgrimage with Fr Nick King SJ
12pm - Live Event - Gathering Mass from the Diocese of Southwark with Bishop Paul Hendricks 
5:30pm - Live Event - Mass from St Peter’s Stonyhurst
8pm Saturday Night Prayers with Fr Sam Burke OP

Day 3, Sunday 22nd August

10am - Live Event - Sunday Mass from the Diocese of Clifton with Bishop Declan Lang 
12pm In Conversation with 2 Assisted Pilgrims from the Diocese of East Anglia
2pm Praying the Rosary with the Cleary Family 
8pm Sunday Night Prayers with Fr Anthony Meredith 

Day 4, Monday 23rd August
10am To Lourdes, Again and Again: a personal story related by John Hartley
12pm ‘I am the Immaculate Conception’ - this year’s theme with Fr Sam Burke OP
8pm Monday Night Prayers with Fr Toby Lees OP

Day 5, Tuesday 24th August

2pm Stations of the Cross with Fr Nick King SJ 
6pm Reflect - a prayer session held by Henny Lenahan
8pm Tuesday Night Prayers with Fr Toby Lees OP

Day 6, Wednesday 25th August

10am Praying the Rosary with the Catholic Association from East Anglia
8pm Night Prayers with Fr Michael Thomas from the Diocese of Clifton

Day 7, Thursday 26th August

10am Medical Talk with Drs Robin & Nuala Mellows
2pm Faith in Work: A conversation with Christopher Page & Brendan Roche QC
6pm - Live Event - Volunteer Q&A with the CA Heads of Services
8pm Thursday Night Prayers with Stonyhurst College 

Day 8, Friday 27th August

10am A Farewell from our Chief Brancardier & Chief Handmaid 
6pm - Live Event - Thanksgiving Mass from the Diocese of Northampton with Bishop David Oakley

We warmly invite you to join us for the 2021 Virtual Pilgrimage to Lourdes!

As you know, we are sadly unable to travel together to Lourdes for the second year in a row. In order to bring the spirit of Lourdes to you at home, we’ve organised a programme of Masses, memories, music and more with voices from across the Diocese and fantastic content from the Stonyhurst Pilgrimage Trust too.

When: Friday 20 August - Friday 27 August

Where: www.ca-bepartofthemiracle.co.uk

Keep up to date with our Social Media pages on Instagram & Facebook (remember to tag us and #BePartOfTheMiracle too)

Join us with family and friends and keep an eye out for the Live Events, as listed below. If you need any assistance accessing the programme, do write to Contact@CatholicAssociation.co.uk and we will be on hand to help.

We are really looking forward to welcoming you all and joining together to celebrate in the miracle of Lourdes on this journey as the Catholic Association. For anybody still wondering what the Lourdesathlon is or how to get involved please find details below. Don't delay in signing up here and making a start on your activity & fundraising today...

What is the Lourdesathlon?
The CA is inviting pilgrims and friends to dig out their trainers, skipping ropes, toboggans, wheelchairs and bikes to join together in collectively covering the distance from the UK to Lourdes. We are crucially fundraising £10,000 for the Sanctuaries in Lourdes who will have missed out on our donation over the past 2 years. Everyone is welcome to be involved with no limit or targets on distance covered or amount raised.

Where does our pilgrimage take us?
Online, our pilgrimage will be stopping to 'collect' Assisted Pilgrims, Volunteers, Heads of Service, Members of the Hospitalite (and more!) from each of our Diocese. Together we will be journeying past Marian shrines of France and finally ending our expedition at the Grotto in Lourdes...just in time for the start of the Virtual Pilgrimage 2021.

Do I have to join at a certain time and cover a specific amount of the route?
Join us at anytime from today and share your progress with everyone as you go on your fundraising page. It's a collective effort so please know you don't have to do the whole thing alone! The kilometres and milestone goals are just there to send us in the right direction. However much you can clock-up is excellent.

How do I track my activity and link it to our pilgrimage?
Once you have registered your page via the Enthuse website (details below), they will give you instructions on how to download the app Strava. This app allows you to track all your activity so that it appears on your individual fundraising page. Make sure every walk to the shops, mowing of the garden or 5 mile run are tracked over the next month to ensure we reach Lourdes! More details on how to connect the app here.

I'd love to be involved - how do I sign up?
Follow the link here to register, remember to share your page to all your contacts to raise as much as we can for the Sanctuaries of Lourdes. If you need any support in setting your page up, take a look here or email Flora@CatholicAssociation.co.uk

Thank you so much already to everyone who has already offered to fundraise and be involved - this has all the hallmarks for a very exciting pilgrimage ahead. We do hope you'll join us in fundraising as much as we can for the sanctuaries of beautiful Lourdes and take on the Lourdesathlon pilgrimage with friends and family.

The CA Virtual Pilgrimage to Lourdes 2021

with The Diocese of Clifton, The Diocese of East Anglia, The Diocese of Northampton, The Diocese of Southwark, The Stonyhurst Pilgrimage Trust & The Glanfield Children's Group

Friday 20th August - Friday 27th August

This year's Virtual Pilgrimage will allow all the Diocese of the CA to come together and take a moment to reflect on pilgrimages of years gone-by, reconnect with friends and take some time to be altogether again. With live-streamed Masses, talks, rosaries and voices from across the CA, it promises to be a very special week.

If you would like to participate in the Virtual Pilgrimage and share a memory from previous pilgrimages, we'd love to hear from you. Please email flora@catholicassociation.co.ukfor more information.

Details of how to join the Virtual Pilgrimage will be shared here and across Social Media in due course.