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The sun shone in the Pyrenees as the Ampleforth charter flight landed in Lourdes airport for the 2024 Ampleforth Lourdes Pilgrimage. This year 270 pilgrims joined together at the shrine for a very happy and meaningful week together, following a brilliant Stage the week before for the more hardcore “back-to-backers” who undertook a week’s service to the wider Lourdes Hospitalite in the run up to the main event. 

The Opening Mass on Saturday afternoon was incredibly special, recognising the huge contribution of many of our longstanding pilgrims, with plenty of five-year medals being distributed and a number of 25 year medals, including George Gaynor who was recognised for his 25 years of service as an Assisted Pilgrim by his grandmother, Honorary President Thyrza Gaynor. The pilgrimage leadership paid tribute to our outgoing Pilgrimage Director, Diana Williams, who could not be with us in person in her final year in post but was with us in prayer throughout the week, as well as sending a lovely message to us all. 

The Pilgrimage followed the usual rhythm of time in smaller groups together, as well as the larger moments including joining the Torchlight Procession and Blessed Sacrament Procession. We joined together with the Pilgrimage from the Diocese of Glasgow for Grotto Mass, where our own Fr Bernard McInulty, a son of Glasgow, preached the Gospel and Fr Oswald gave the homily. The trip up the hill this year to the Cite St Pierre was wonderful, particularly without the intense heat of other days, and Fr Jock celebrated Mass and Anointing of the Sick, after which we decamped to the lake there for a wonderful picnic together before heading back down to the bustle of the town. 

The Ward Party was absolutely outstanding this year, compered excellently by Richard Tams, including a fantastic turn from the stars of the Tea Bar (Janet Squire, Jean Wells, Guy Hopkins, John Shipsey and Adrian Mayer), the glam and glitter of the clinical team performance, the comedy turns of Ed Gibson and Philip Conrath, rousing renditions of popular hits from Rob Maxsted and George Wardroper, the very cool Tim Mayer on the saxophone, as well as a beautiful dance performance from Amber in year 12 at Ampleforth College. A new addition in the last two years has been the fiercely competitive and frequent football matches on the roof of the St Frai and around Lourdes, thanks to the enthusiasm of Joshy Hirst and the many others who found themselves fitter at the end of the pilgrimage than the start. The bars and cafes of the “Red Route” found their profits up and their ice cream, espresso, Orangina, beer and Jurancon Sec stores down, thanks to plenty of opportunities for socialising, as one would expect from Ampleforth. The balance of fun, fellowship and faith is always a lovely element of our time together. 

It was brilliant to have so many join from Ampleforth College, Mayfield, Portsmouth Abbey and Sacred Heart, with us on their school trips, as well as a strong group of returning young who formed a real backbone of the pilgrimage. We also welcomed many former parents of the school for the first time, or returning after an extended break, as well as many familiar faces.

We returned, eye bags drooping down our faces but spiritually uplifted, already looking forward to next year.