HCPT Blog 7 - Leaving the group candles

The sun shone during our final day in Lourdes. Some groups spent their last morning visiting the City of the Poor, where accommodation and hospitality is offered to those pilgrims who cannot afford to stay in hotels. Situated on a hillside above the town, the Sheep Fold chapel of the City is modelled on the thatched barn in Bartres where Bernadette tended sheep as a little girl, and it is popular for HCPT Masses. The stools for seating are covered in sheepskins. It is an opportunity to remember poor communities around the world and a place to pray for justice and peace.

Other groups were reminded of the poverty of Bernadette by visiting the Cachot, or prison, where her family lived in one damp room throughout the year of the apparitions in 1858. In fact, Bernadette was helping to gather firewood for heating the room on 11 February 1858, the day of the first apparition. This was all underlined for us during our viewing of the old black and white film, 'Song of Bernadette', which captivated our children. She was a simple peasant and yet God used her in incredible ways.

As for the Chiswick group, we brought our enormous group candle down to the Grotto. It had been decorated in our group colour of green. Topped with an image of Our Lady with Bernadette, it carried the names of our children, our helpers, plus key people involved in the group's founding in the early 1980s. There were also images of smiling children holding hands. We prayed for all those connected to our group, and for all our donors and sponsors. We used the Trust prayer, which concluded: 'Thank you for touching us with your love. Help us to bring your love to all those we are able to help, and all those we meet in the Trust always and forever. Amen.'

Groups have been leaving since early morning, but there is still plenty of HCPT life around Lourdes on our final day. The West Indies group had Mass at the Grotto this morning. In early afternoon the Scottish groups headed through the streets towards their regional Mass, led by bagpipes. A youth group was belting out, 'Sing it in the valleys', but did I really hear, 'Jesus came to peg us, and his pegging never stops'? Of course, as HCPT regulars know, the pegging of groups is an action of affection and the young people absolutely love doing it. Our young helpers were spraying clothes pegs green late last night!

We had a final visit to the Grotto this evening and thanked God for all the blessings received this week. After a walk around the prairie on a golden evening we monitored our candle. There it was, burning alongside other HCPT group candles - all witnessing to the centrality of faith to the HCPT experience.

One of the items our children will take home is a HCPT Diamond Jubilee Rosary. The first time Bernadette saw Our Lady on 11 February 1858, the two said the Rosary together. The children's suitcases also contain their HCPT Lourdes prayer books and other HCPT memorabilia, bracelets of Lourdes images, and a few have bought bottles of Lourdes water spray! But most of all our children will take home happy memories of a week when they were the centre of attention and valued just as they are. This was clear in our last night viewing of slides recording our week. We all squeezed into a bedroom where they were projected on the wall and there were squeals of laughter at nearly every one of them.

All feel privileged to have participated in a pilgrimage highlighting the links between love of God and love of neighbour, particularly those who are disabled and disadvantaged. Truly, in giving we have received. With our new group leader of 24 years, and three new young helpers who've been fantastic, the future of the group is secure.

HCPT will be welcoming guests to Hosanna House, just outside Lourdes, all the year round. But the last of 15 planes are leaving early tomorrow morning from HCPT's Diamond Jubilee Easter Pilgrimage. 'Thanks be to God!'.

See our Facebook page for more pictures.

Links:

HCPT Blog 6 - Our Lady of the Snows
www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=29774

HCPT Blog 5 - 'Thanks be to God - The Trust Mass
www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=29767

HCPT Blog 4 - Stations of the Cross
www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=29759

HCPT Blog 3 - The Group Experience
www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=29752

HCPT Blog 2 - Drawn to the Grotto
www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=29746

HCPT Blog 1 - Setting out for Lourdes in Diamond Jubilee year
www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=29737