Children return home after life changing HCPT Lourdes pilgrimage

Two HCPT pilgrins near the Grotto

Participants on the HCPT Easter pilgrimage are returning home after a celebratory and often life changing week in Lourdes.

This year, the charity's 59th annual pilgrimage welcomed more than 1,000 disabled children to the Shrine in the South of France. Whilst there the children stayed in small family-sized groups and were accompanied by doctors, nurses, clergy and helpers.

The pilgrimage, which is the largest for children from the UK, is renowned for its vibrancy and joy - aided by the fact that the majority of helpers who join it are under the age of 30.

The week is centred around the children, with everyone attending focussed on ensuring that they have as much fun and gain as much from their pilgrimage as possible.

A typical stay in Lourdes includes trips to the mountains, local zoos and other attractions, or to the seaside, as well as visits to the Grotto, Baths, and daily Masses. HCPT also leads the prestigious Torchlight and Blessed Sacrament Processions during the week.

The theme of this year's pilgrimage was 'Rejoice!' which was developed by HCPT's West Indies region, who were celebrating their 30th year of travelling to Lourdes.

This year's pilgrimage had a particularly strong international feel with senior clergy coming from America, Jamaica, England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. HCPT groups from the UK and Ireland were joined by those from Belgium, Bosnia, Croatia, Poland, Romania, Spain, America and the West Indies.

The highlight of the week for many was the Trust Mass, celebrated by Rt Rev Burchell McPherson, Bishop of Montego Bay, Jamaica. It was also celebrated by the Most Rev George Stack (Archbishop of Cardiff), Rt Rev Manuel Cruz (Auxiliary Bishop of Newark, USA), Rt Rev Donal McKeown (Bishop of Derry), Rt Rev Richard Moth (Bishop of the Forces), Rt Rev Stephen Robson (Bishop of Dunkeld), Rt Rev Tom Williams (Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool), and over 100 priests and deacons.

Bishop McPherson's homily was a short, simple yet powerful one. He encouraged all four sides of the congregation packed into the Underground Basilica to repeat after him, "God loves me, and so I rejoice!" Something everyone did with gusto.

HCPT pilgrimages for 2015 continue in May at Hosanna House. From then until November, the house, in the hills above Lourdes, will host over 1,500 pilgrims of all ages, many of them with disabilities or life-limiting conditions.

Next year HCPT celebrates its 60th Anniversary, which will have the theme, 'Thanks be to God'.

HCPT was founded in 1956 by Dr Michael Strode. It was the first organisation visiting Lourdes to insist that disabled pilgrims stayed in hotels with their helpers, rather than in hospital as was the usual practice.

Watch a short film about the HCPT Mass here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPSC0YpI-mA

See lots more pictures and a full length film of the Trust Mass here: www.facebook.com/HCPTpage?fref=ts