HCPT Blog 5: 'Let your light shine' - The Trust Mass

This morning, all pedestrian traffic in Lourdes led to the Underground Basilica. Groups in their distinctive colours and banners converged from all directions. Bedrooms had been a hive of artistic activity - with nails painted green and number 144 marked on faces - until we set off at 9am for the 10am Mass.

No group misses this annual Mass of the HCPT Trust. Walking alongside us were Group 51 from Sunbury Green, Group 72 from Lancashire and Group 11 from Scotland in distinctive mauve sweatshirts. As we arrived, young people were lined up to welcome each group by number.

With big screens throughout the Basilica, groups can be fully involved sitting anywhere and by 9.30am we were greeting other groups and exchanging badges and group pegs. Colourful and creative banners carrying simple messages were appearing everywhere: Group 25 - 'Loving and Helping hands'; Group 53 - 'We're all in this together'; Group 87 - 'Made in Heaven'. Group 601 was 'America Special Children's Pilgrimage'. Lots of Noah's arks and animals - such as Group 203 from Waterford - were a nod to a favourite HCPT hymn 'Rise and Shine'.

The Scottish HCPT Region is in charge of liturgies this year and so the chief celebrant was Bishop Joseph Toal of Motherwell. He was alongside Archbishop Leo Cushley of St Andrews & Edinburgh and President of HCPT, seven other bishops, and around 60 priests. There were more than 2,500 people present - around 1,000 children - and this particular Mass was followed by others live on the internet. Bishop Toal has been a HCPT group chaplain and told me before the Mass that, 'the Church is thinking a lot about Synodality and HCPT offers a good model of everyone working together." And he pointed out that it helps young people to engage with the Church. The Salesian College, Farnborough and St George's College, Weybridge were among Catholic colleges involved today. And younger children: a group came from St Bernadette's Primary School in Kenton, North London. Founded 11 years ago by headteacher David O'Farrell, he told me that joining the HCPT pilgrimage is "now part of the fabric of the school."

We heard bagpipes settle everyone down at the start. Then, with the theme of 'Let your light shine', the opening hymn had to be 'Christ be our light' by Bernadette Farrell which was sung with enthusiasm and swaying. We sang, 'Let us be servants to one another, making your kingdom come'. We prayed for children, benefactors, and all people in need or affected by conflict. 'Shine, Jesus Shine' sent us on our way at the end.

After thanks were expressed to the Scottish region for leading HCPT liturgies this week, it was announced that the North East Region of Britain will lead the 2025 Easter pilgrimage. The theme will be 'Angels Among Us', perhaps picking up on the presence of the 'Angel of the North' sculpture in that region. What a great theme for HCPT to work to!

The verse in 'Christ be our light' on homelessness was recalled in the afternoon when our group visited the Cachot, or prison, where Bernadette's 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. She was a simple peasant girl, who was poor and had compassion for the poor, and was chosen by God to shine light in incredible ways. We must discern how to do the same.

LINKS:

HCPT Facebook: www.facebook.com/HCPTpage/

HCPT Easter 2024: www.hcpt.org.uk/easter-2024

On the pages above you can watch the livestreams of the major HCPT events and of people passing through the Grotto.

At 9pm every night join on Facebook or YouTube for Prayers on the Stairs, an online version of the night prayers which pilgrimage groups hold in their hotels.