From Caldicot to Lourdes
A party of twelve from the Benefice of Caldicot made a pilgrimage to Lourdes in Easter Week. On arrival, our first visit was to the sanctuary, where we lit a very large candle for our benefice, and said prayers for the diocese.
Nothing could have prepared us for our first sight of the shrine and the basilica. The simplicity of the shrine of the visions of St Bernadette and the magnificence of the Church built over the grotto left us with a sense of awe.
After the meal we viewed the torchlight procession which was an incredible experience. The following day we took a coach to Gavenie, a village surrounded by the snow capped mountains of the Pyrenees. We had fun in the snow, our first snowball fight for a long time. That evening we took part in the torchlight procession, joining some ten thousand pilgrims, who had travelled from all over the world. That night we all said private prayers, praying for our sick back home. The following day we were invited by the Welsh Branch of the Pilgrimage Trust to join them in the underground basilica for a youth service with over five thousand young people.
During our days in Lourdes we held our own services of Holy Communion in our hotel, and its grounds. Some of our pilgrims were immersed in the waters at the grotto. We had plenty of time for sight seeing, exploring the locality, and for socialising, with other pilgrims. We had such a wonderful time that we are beginning to plan another visit.