Looking forward to a week of devotions, ice cream, and buffoonery in Lourdes

Low Mass, cup of tea, board the coach, go to Heathrow Terminal 5, aeroplane to Toulouse, two hours in the coach, and then ... Lourdes!

This week sees the annual pilgrimage to Lourdes, now held jointly by Our Lady of the Rosary, Blackfen, and St Mary's Chislehurst. We have lots of babies and young children this year, so I expect that there will be plenty of opportunity for ice cream, buffoonery and catechesis along with the serious business of singing Mass, kissing relics, bathing in the waters and following in the footsteps of that most engaging Saint, Bernadette Soubirous.

We will be staying in the Grand Hotel D'Angleterre in the Rue St Joseph (opposite the Hotel Moderne, near the St Joseph gate.) Our Masses in Lourdes are as follows:

• Tuesday 6pm - St Gabriel Chapel (Low Mass with catechetical instruction for children)
• Wednesday 11am - Parish Church at Bartres (Missa Cantata)
• Thursday 10am - Crypt of Lourdes Parish Church (Missa Cantata)
• Friday 10.30am - St Gabriel Chapel (Low Mass)

A number of Diocesan pilgrimages also go to Lourdes during the half-term holiday. If you are in Lourdes, you are very welcome to join us for Mass, or to pop in to the Hotel D'Angleterre to join us for a drink after the evening torchlight procession. I'll also be doing a blessing for children on Wednesday at 4pm at the grotto. Recently this has been dropped from the official programme but the brancardiers usually let us in for prayers just under the statue, so if you have children, do come along and join us.