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St. Helen’s Lourdes Fund
What is it and why was it formed?
It was started in 1996 to offer financial help to our parishioners, who had a genuine need to visit Lourdes but who did not have the means to do so? It was started when a sum of money was donated by a parishioner, to our then Parish Priest Fr. Thomas Lavin. He had always wanted to encourage and assist people to visit the famous shrine of Lourdes and this was the seed to do so.
Fr. Tom assisted by me, Sue Baillie set about arranging the first Parish Pilgrimage. I have continued this work to the current day and feel very privileged to do so.
Slick 2012 Pilgrimage ![lourdesgrotto470_470x350[1].jpg](http://static.wix.com/media/0515c6_936f19af9b5e470c51f25332ab717763.jpg_128)
“"For those who have faith,
no explanation is necessary.
For those without faith,
no explanation is sufficient.”"
Departing: Easter Monday 9 April - Saturday 14 April (inclusive) 5 nights/6 days
Staying at: the 4* Grand Hotel Moderne on Full board basis
Inclusive of: Flights from City Airport/Pau. & coach transfer to & from hotel
1/2 day excursion to visit the village of Bartres.
Full Spiritual programme. Fr. Joseph Whisstock Spiritual Director.
Excludes personal travel insurance and drinks/souvenirs.
Message Message from Sue Baillie………
I want others to have a Lourdes experience similar to my own. “The lessons of Lourdes are applicable to everyday life. “It has nothing to do with miracles. Small miracles happen every day.” The message of Lourdes is a simple one. It takes no genius to understand it. It is the same message we can find in the pages of the gospel. It brings no new teachings, no startling revelations or magical promises, but simply calls us once more back to the basics of the GOOD NEWS of Jesus.
It can be summed up as Poverty, Prayer, Penance & …Participation. If one of these is missing then Lourdes is incomplete. Put them together we find the heart of the message of Lourdes and the source if it’s inspiration, the Gospel. To heed the message of Lourdes is to return to the Word of God.
Povety - Time and again in the Bible we see God choosing the underdog to be a leader. Those who appear to be weak and poor, someone the world considers of little significance. I.e. Bernadette.
Prayer - If we have the right dispositions, then our pilgrimage, from the moment we leave home until our return can be one of great prayer. Prayer is not simply about words silently or outloud. It is more to do with what is in our hearts. Prayer of the heart goes beyond mere formulas to a dedication of our whole selves to God through our thoughts, words and actions. Hence pushing a wheelchair can be a prayer, using our talents at Mass for the good of all, listening sensitively to someone can be a prayer. Taking time to socialize with other pilgrims is not just time off from God but can be a genuine prayer. The prayer of Lourdes is about a heart to heart, listening to what God is asking of us at this time in our lives. If we can learn to treasure those little moments either alone or with others, prayer can catch hold of us at any time of the day, at the Grotto or in a café, in silence or in song. For us Christians, it is only this type of prayer which ultimately can make sense of our lives. We do not only pray that everything will turn out well in heaven, we pray to make sense of our lives now. The message of Prayer challenges us to make our daily actions an offering to God.
Penance - Most of us have our own particular penances that we carry through our life. For some it’s sickness for others bereavement, and for many it is a sense of rejecton or disappointment that we bear silently. We have no shortage of things to try us. Our Blessed Lady’'s message to us in Lourdes goes beyond these trials. It is the same message she gave to Bernadette, to do penance for sinners. To wash herself with the water from the spring and to drink from it was a sign of her own need to be cleansed and refreshed by the message of the Gospel.
Participation - Even people who may be shy or reticent back home seem to have little difficulty in joining in things at Lourdes. They participate often at a deeper level than back home.
What Lourdes can teach us, I believe, is how to live with grace and humility. Helpers and pilgrims learn much about both of those virtues from the sick pilgrims. “The well-bodied get more out of the experiences with the sick than the sick do, in some cases. “The lesson of Lourdes is about redemption, not in a profound way, but in a very small and human way. It’s not about how many times you fall in life, but how many times you pick yourself up. It is a wonderful part of being a Christian.”
To journey to Lourdes to witness first hand, the tireless volunteers and companions, and especially the hopeful ‘malades’. Lourdes holds a message for each one of us. For a century and a half, all have come to Lourdes for different reasons, but all come hoping for some kind of physical, emotional, or spiritual healing. I firmly believe a gift from Our Blessed Lay awaits all who answer her call …
“Come in procession”…… - “Pray for sinners”………….
Flash Bernadette 
Lourdes has grown from a town of 14,000 inhabitants where, in 1858, a peasant girl named Bernadette Soubirous said she saw “a lady dressed in white” to an international pilgrimage destination that now hosts more than 5 million visitors a year.
According to the story, when Bernadette, who could not read or write and who barely passed her religious education classes, asked the lady her name, she responded, “"I am the Immaculate Conception".” The faithful believed her to be the Virgin Mary, and she is said to have appeared to Bernadette 18 times.
The Roman Catholic Church recognised Lourdes as a holy place in 1862 and Bernadette’'s visions of Mary in a cave as authentic. Saint Bernadette was canonized in 1933, as patron of the sick, and Lourdes emerged as one of the premiere pilgrimage sites in the world. People from all walks of life, many of them using wheelchairs and canes, come to be healed by water that flows from a spring dug by Bernadette herself, or to help those who are seriously ill and in need of assistance during their pilgrimage. The water is believed to be blessed with healing properties.
I have visited Lourdes many times, and what interests me are the communal aspects of the pilgrimage experience and the healing aspects of the place. In addition to Mary, it’'s the character of Bernadette that draws all. She was completely uninterested in impressing people. She was very real. She wanted to tell her story with no personal gain, and that is the mark of a true saint.”
It is the “intensely powerful” experience you have there, best described as “a healing of the heart.” All Lourdes pilgrims have their own personal experiences. People overcome anxieties, fears, and are given hope.
The Baths - First constructed in the 1950s, pilgrims immerse themselves in the water at the baths. In response to an invitation Mary is believed to have made to Bernadette, she drank from the spring she had dug and and then washed herself. This is an awe-inspiring experience. Conducted with great dignity, respect and privacy. Have FAITH it will lead you through.
Testimonials 2011
Thank you so much for all you did for the pilgrimage. It was a wonderful experience and I made some amazing friends and grew my faith some more! Love Teri, USA
A huge thanks for allowing us to join your group on pilgrimage to Lourdes. We were made to feel very comfortable by all the group. Thanks again Susan and Eileen, Essex
Many thanks for a wonderful pilgrimage. And for all the kindness and help which was shown to my sister and myself. Also to the many wonderful people, including yourself, who we met.
God bless Nancy and Rita, Holland-on-Sea, Essex
2008
God Blessed me and my family by taking us to Lourdes. How God provides when we pray and trust him. How he blesses us all. It's hard to find the words to express how healing, cleansing, life-giving the pilgrimage was for us as a family. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support and encouragememnt to us.
Love Tara and boys, Leigh-on-Sea
2003
We both thank you so much for the bext pilgrimage ever. Once again the Group made us both feel so welcome and very special., giving us so much love and kindness. (I've never had so many hugs in one week).
Mike & Sue Stephens, St. Leonards
2010
Dear Sue Thank you so much for looking after me. I had a fabulous time, and can't wait for next year. Lots of love Sam (Aged 10)
2001
Many thanks for making our first pilgrimage to Lourdes so enjoyable. You did a great job of organising everything, Ann and I are really glad we went, and we hope to meet everyone again.
Thanks again Marie and Ann O'Boyle, Benfleet
2005
Thank you very much for your kindness with the Webb Family. Thank you for the wonderful trip to Lourdes. It was beyond all expectations. We were overwhelmed with everything. Everything you did for us is greatly appreciated.
Deborah and children, Westcliff-on-Sea
Thanks for making this a very special time for each of us. Love and Prayers Lene and all your friends x
I just wanted to say a big thank you for such a lovely week in Lourdes. You made me feel so welcome and I really enjoyed myself. I know you worked really hard and were really patient with all of us and I just wanted to let you know it was much appreciated/.
Much love Michelle
1999
Thank you so much for making me so welcome at Lourdes. I feel so much a part of St. Helen's Parish and shall never forget all the love and memories we shared as one family, which we are.
Monica, Renfrewshire
1997
It's been a wonderful and inspiring journey. May you continue always to bring people to Lourdes.
Patricia and Salvetore & David Burzotta, Westcliff
2000
Words cannot express my feelings - Thanks a million. Maureen & Michael Jinks, Eire
JULY PILGRIMAGE JULY 2012 PARISH PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES
Following the amazing response to our Easter pilgrimage, we are currently planning another parish pilgrimage to Lourdes which will coincide with the Brentwood Diocesan Pilgimage and we aim to follow the Diocesan schedule of 5 nights from 22nd to 27th July inclusive. We shall depart from London City Airport on the evening of Sunday 22nd July and return on Friday 27th July , prior to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
The pilgrimage will depart from London City Airport and we will stay in the 4 star Grand Hotel Moderne. This hotel is the closest to the sanctuary; only 50 metres from St. Joseph's Gate.
Father Joseph will be accompanying the group.
The package includes:
Return flights from London City Airport including light snacks and beverages on board Luxury coach transfers Full-board accommodation (Single room supplements apply) Full religious itinerary Optional excursion into the French Pyrenees mountains & the village of Gavarnie Discounted child fares We are delighted to inform you that the parish has negotiated a discount saving of approximately £100 per adult travelling, compared to the Diocesan pilgrimage from Stansted Airport.
At this stage, we are establishing who may be interested in travelling, so please register your interest with the parish secretary or contact Sue Baillie direct on the button below.
copyright 2011 St. Helen's Lourdes Fund - which is a registered charity No. 234092
