05 Apr 2013
A two hour Mass. You can’t be serious! In one respect you are absolutely right. Some of the most wonderful celebrations of the Eucharist are to be found in Lourdes during the annual Irish Pilgrimage Trust / HCPT week in Lourdes. It really about celebrating faith and community in an atmosphere that’s almost impossible to describe.
We have a group of eleven young people with special needs, along with a team of adults from Group 135 in Kerry. Since arriving in Lourdes on Easter Sunday it’s been non stop. As soon as we dropped our bags in the hotel we headed off to the Grotto. Since then we’ve visited the museum to hear the story of Bernadette and the apparitions of Mary. On Tuesday we had a wonderful Mass for the groups from Ireland. It was all singing and more than a little bit of dancing. Yesterday we went up to the mountain village of Givarne for the day, where we made snow men, had Mass outdoors, and I got absoutely DESTROYED in a snow ball fight. Last night we joined 5,000 over IPT / HCPT pilgrims and many more for the flambeau or torchlight Marian procession. For many of our young people it was the highlight of the week. Today we had Mass for the entire group and once again we were caught up in the excitement, the joy and the passion for life and faith that are the hallmarks of Lourdes and especially the Irish Pilgrimage Trust. Tonight was our fancy dress party and the kids got dressed up as fairies, monsters and pirates and danced away a couple of hours. I’m writing this at 2:00am, so you’ll have to excuse the spelling, but this is the first bit of spare time all day!
Taking time out in Gavernie for to make a snowman and have an epic snow fight
We’ve only been here since Sunday, but it seems like much longer as so much has happened. Some part of us is looking forward to Saturday when we’ll all be home and there’s a chance to relax. Another part doesn’t want the pilgrimage to end. The challenge for us is to bring something of the spirit of the Irish Pilgrimage Trust week in Lourdes back home with us to our own parishes and communities. It’s something we’re crying out for!
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