Church of the Catholic Parish of Jersey

Catholic Community of Jersey

Jersey to Lourdes - September 2012

Our pilgrimage always leaves Jersey on 15 September and returns on 24 September so that we can join up with the Oblates of Mary Immaculate Anglo Irish Pilgrimage, which is in Lourdes from 17 to 22 September each year.  We find that this is very beneficial, as we are able to feel part of a wider spiritual experience.

We leave Jersey on the boat to France at approximately 09.15 hours (depending on the tides) arriving in St. Malo at about 11.30 hours French time.  Our coach and driver will be waiting for us and we start on the road south.  On the first day we ask you to bring a packed lunch, if the weather is fine we stop at a picnic area and if not we eat on the coach.  There are two reasons for this, it saves us time on this first day and it means that if you are hungry before we stop due to the time difference then you can have a little something to keep you going.  It is also possible to buy something at the cafe at our usual stop but we cannot guarantee that this will always be the case.  We try to have regular stops along the way to stretch our legs but there is also a toilet on board so no one has to get worried or uncomfortable.

On the first night we stop at the Hotel de la Plage at St Palais sur Mer where we will have an evening meal and breakfast before we set off the following morning.  We usually aim to start our journey at about 08.30 hours so as to ensure that we arrive in Lourdes in good time to settle into the Hotel Ste Rose, attend our first Mass and be ready for our evening meal at 19.00 hours.  Our lunch time stop is usually at Captieux and very often we call in at Blaye for our mid morning break.

The main Oblate Anglo Irish Pilgrimage arrives the day after we do so we have some time to settle in and find our way around.  We always have books and badges provided by the Oblates and we are invited to join in all the activities of the Pilgrimage.  While we hope that you will want to be part of this wonderfully spiritual experience you are of course free to pick and choose what you want to attend and to rest when you feel you need to.  During this time we have opportunities to celebrate International Mass in the Underground Basilica, Mass at the Grotto, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, follow the Stations of the Cross and go to the baths.

Each afternoon there is a Blessing of the Sick which takes place in the Underground Basilica and each evening the Torchlight Procession follows a route from the Grotto to the steps of the main Basilica.  You can walk with the procession, you can find a vantage point and watch it snake its way along or if you are a singer you can join in with the choirs on the steps of the Basilica.

There is also time to rest, time to enjoy yourself in the many cafes or time to buy some souvenirs in the multitude of shops that line the streets outside the Shrine.  We also try to arrange trips of our own to other places of interest.

Our return journey begins with breakfast at the hotel before we set out at about 09.00 hours and travel back to St Palais sur Mer for our night stop at the Hotel de la Plage where we will have our evening meal and perhaps take a stroll along the seafront for coffee before bedtime.  The following morning we set out for St Malo hopefully stopping around lunch time at a hypermarket so that we can do some shopping and buy a snack for lunch.  

I hope that this gives you some idea of what our pilgrimage involves, but it cannot prepare you for the wonderful and very special experience of actually being in Lourdes with people of all nationalities and various cultures.

The only cost not included in the price of the trip are your packed lunch on the first day, the snack at the hypermarket, entrance to any museums or attractions that you wish to visit the tips for the hotel staff and our coach driver and of course any drinks or extras you wish to purchase.

The price of the pilgrimage is in the region of £750 sharing and £940 for a single room for 10 days full board but we recost each year to ensure that you get good value.  For this year’s price or if you have any questions or worries about any aspect of the trip please call Deanna on 863149 between 09.00 and 14.00 hours Monday to Friday or in the evenings on 638973.