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HCPT’s 58th Pilgrimage to Lourdes – Being the ‘hands of the Lord’


This year’s annual Easter pilgrimage to Lourdes of HCPT – The Pilgrimage Trust - attracted more than 200 groups from many UK and Irish Dioceses and from as far afield as Slovakia, Croatia, Romania, United States and the West Indies.

The lively Trust Mass on 4 April was celebrated by Bishop John Rawsthorne of Hallam Diocese, the out-going President of the Trust, and the congregation of around 5,000 included more than one and a half thousand children with special needs.

‘We are the hands of the Lord’ was the theme of the Mass and hands were raised often throughout the huge underground basilica, waving in time with hymns. Music was led by the Yorkshire HCPT Region, under the direction of Mike Baldwin. Hundreds of young people sang in the choir and performed liturgical dances.

In the congregation was Brother Michael Strode, who, as a young doctor, brought a group of disabled children to Lourdes 58 years ago and founded HCPT – The Pilgrimage Trust. He is now a Cistercian monk at Caldey Island in Wales. At the end, he came to the altar - amidst a standing ovation - to thank Bishop Rawsthorne who was stepping down after 15 years as Trust President, a role now being taken on by Bishop Kieran Conry of Arundel and Brighton.

Bishop Rawsthorne was described as a “devoted ambassador of HCPT”, and had learnt sign language to engage more easily with deaf children. “You have walked many miles for the Trust and we thank you” said Brother Michael. In response, Bishop Rawsthorne related that another bishop once asked him “how come you have two of the best roles in the Church - being chair of CAFOD and President of the HCPT?” He said he felt “privileged” to have been involved with both for so long. HCPT – The Pilgrimage Trust brings disabled children to Lourdes annually during the week after Easter, organised in small family groups and each group with a chaplain and a nurse.

Around 200 groups went this year, and helpers wore distinctive sweatshirts and hats, and even luminous headgear in the HCPT-led torchlight procession. Waves of group banners displayed smiling children, arcs and rainbows, as well as images of the Lourdes grotto. It is the biggest children’s pilgrimage to Lourdes from the UK, and attracts thousands of young helpers.

Bishop Brendan Kelly, of the Irish Diocese of Achonry, was on the HCPT pilgrimage for the first time, and described it as “a wonderful experience”. He felt that it “brings out the best in all of us”.

HCPT Trust Mass 2013 can be viewed at: http://en.lourdes-france.org/tv-lourdes/?vid=hcpt

For more information see: www.hcpt.org.uk

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