From Friday 3 July to Wednesday 8 July, the annual Clogher Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes takes place. This annual journey of pilgrimage to the Shrine of Mary at Lourdes, where Our Lady appeared to St Bernadette in 1858, is not just an annual date in the diocesan diary but a moment of encounter for so many people across our diocese, especially the sick and those with particular needs.
This year, some 270 pilgrims travel on the Pilgrimage, led by Bishop Larry Duffy, Bishop of Clogher. Among there are 75 young people from the Clogher don Óige Youth Ministry who will participate in the various liturgical and other events and accompany the assisted-pilgrims in particular. Their presence is a sign of joy and hope.
This year’s pastoral theme at Lourdes is: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28),. As Bishop Duffy states, it ‘reminds us that Mary’s life was rooted in trust in God’s presence and love. In Lourdes, we are invited to hear those same words spoken anew to each of us — that the Lord is with us in our joys and struggles, in our hopes, in moments of strength and in times of need.’
We all pray that this pilgrimage will be a time of grace, peace, and deepening faith for all who travel to Lourdes and for our whole diocesan family.
- Links to YouTube channel for Lourdes can be found here: 🔴 Lourdes Live | Notre-Dame de Lourdes Sanctuary Live Stream | Holy Mass & Grotto Prayer
