Our Lady of Lourdes.
Healing, comfort and love.
On Thursday we offer a special memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes.
In 1858 the immaculate Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes, France.
Mary appeared to this poor, 14 year-old girl to call us to change our lives for the better. To pray the rosary and to offer ourselves in service of the poor and the sick.
A couple of years ago I had the chance to go to Lourdes on pilgrimage. I must admit I wasn’t expecting very much. Lourdes has a reputation as the ‘Disney Land’ of the Roman Catholic church.
Lots of tawdry statues, lots of shops, lots of people pushing and shoving to be first in the line for this attraction or that display. Not really my thing.
But I was surprised. Lourdes turned out to be a very special place indeed.
Much like Walsingham, the appearance of the Blessed Virgin has left the place rather ‘thin’. You often find this in places where prayer is constantly offered. It somehow becomes easier to talk to God in these thin places, aided by the prayers and the appearance of our Blessed Mother.
It turned out to be a very special pilgrimage indeed. I discovered a peace and comfort that I had been missing. Perhaps in better days, we shall all go together as a parish.
Fr. Matthew
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Other news
Work will start in earnest on the church hall on Wednesday 10th. A temporary wooden wall is to be built to screen the vestry and the hall whilst work is underway. The works will take approximately 3 months to complete.
The Archdeacons Visitation and our planned Vision Day on the 23rd February has been postponed until after Easter.
Don’t forget to consider setting up regular giving with the Parish Giving Scheme. Call 0333 002 1271 with your bank details to hand and quote our Parish Code – 230 623 503