Saturday 30 May 2026 Lourdes Pilgrimage Day 6 Expand Today is Departure Day for our pilgrims travelling by air. Those on coaches left last night (Fri). We have said our goodbyes as we travel home after a wonderful pilgrimage. Holy Mass was due to be celebrated in the Underground Basilica of St Pius X by Fr Craig Szmidt, Diocesan Vocations Director, in the morning for those able to attend. Our Lady of Lourdes, Pray for Us.
Friday 29 May 2026 Lourdes Pilgrimage Day 5 Expand The Annunciation Closing Mass This morning the Closing Mass of the Pilgrimage was held at St Bernadette (Grotto) and celebrated by Bishop David Evans. Once again our young pilgrims welcomed everyone into Mass, sharing prayer cards and tiny replicas of Our Lady. This is the last Mass of the Pilgrimage and the last time pilgrims all gathered together. Some have already started their journey home, with the three coaches - carrying most of our young pilgrims - leaving Lourdes this evening. Judging by the many comments people are sharing with each other it has been a blessed and fruitful pilgrimage. Although it has been very hot all week pilgrims have embraced the daily programme and made the most of this spiritual journey. Our young pilgrims once again played a key role in today's Mass, offering prayerful reflections, supporting our Assisted Pilgrims, helping clergy at Holy Communion, and generally being on hand to serve. They are to be congratulated on their work this week, as are all who have volunteered. Archbishop Bernard Longley gave today's Homily and opened with: Nothing will be impossible to God It’s hard to believe that this is our last day together in Lourdes - and although a part of us is looking forward to seeing our homes again, yet we also feel some sadness at the thought of leaving Lourdes and saying goodbye to one another for the time being. It has been a memorable pilgrimage - not least because of the exceptional weather - and as we say au revoir to Lourdes we want to thank our Lady for the welcome we have received here and for all the friends, new and old, with whom we have shared these precious days. We have shared many experiences during the last five days, and we have stored up many memories - the things we will be able to recall over the coming years. Such memories and experiences help us to make sense of our daily lives once we have returned home. Read Homily in full During today's Mass long service awards of five and 10 years were handed out to those who have come on pilgrimage to Lourdes by Archbishop Bernard and Bishop David. Two altar servers were also awarded for their long service under the Guild of St Stephen (international organisation of Altar Servers) and two of our nurses were handed special awards for the continued care they provide. Our Lady of Lourdes, Pray for Us. St Bernadette, Pray for Us. The Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes is open to everybody. Please consider joining us in future years. You will be most welcome. Photo Gallery Stations of the Cross In the afternoon our Assisted Pilgrims, and others, had the chance to follow the way of the cross in the Underground Basilica. Two small groups took the Stations of the Cross journey. Visitors to the Underground Basilica can also follow the Apparitions and Mysteries. Photo Gallery Blessed Sacrament Procession Held in the Underground Basilica this evening due to the continuing hot weather. Once again clergy and pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Birmingham played significant roles. All those gathered were invited to join a period of Adoration, with prayers and musical accompaniment. Watch! Entry Procession Photo Gallery
Thursday 28 May 2026 Lourdes Pilgrimage Day 4 Expand Our Lord Jesus Christ the Eternal High Priest Holy Mass – Hospitalite This morning's Mass was held at St Bernadette (Grotto) and was an opportunity to celebrate the continuing work of the Birmingham Lourdes Hospitalite. It was also the first Mass in Lourdes as a Diocesan family, as previous events have been shared with others, and once again our young pilgrims played a significant part in the Mass. All pilgrims who have been called to serve, and have given up their time to help others this week, were thanked wholeheartedly for their contribution by principal celebrant Archbishop Bernard Longley. Fr Jeremy Howard, Pilgrimage Director, opened with some initial reflections, including remembering Lourdes pilgrims who have passed away, and sharing the wonderful news that Sophia, a young pilgrim who comes every year with her mum Alice, would be receiving her First Holy Communion at today's Mass. The Homily was delivered by Bishop David Evans, who opened with: It is unusual that the Letter to the Hebrews is not identified by the name of the person who wrote it. Its author is anonymous. That is the way in which we ordinarily think; but there being no name at the beginning of the Letter allows us to see more clearly and more accurately that its author is not a human being, but the Holy Spirit. The human being who produced the first physical text is rather a scribe or a secretary. Like the Gospels and other New Testament writings the Letter to the Hebrews is of divine origin. This is what allowed its scribe to survey not only the history of Israel, the happenings that made the Israelites a people, and the events and purpose of Jesus’s life, but also what gave him both access to the realm of eternity and also knowledge of a conversation between God the Father and Jesus that was to bring into being a course of action that was to lead to the forgiveness of sins and to the gift of divine life offered by Jesus to humanity. Read Homily in full After Holy Communion a number of medals (three, five and 10 years) were handed out to those who have served in the Hospitalite to rapturous applause. And after Mass Archbishop Bernard personally addressed our young people to thank and encourage them. The Birmingham Lourdes Hospitalite is a religious confraternity affiliated with the Hospitalité Notre Dame de Lourdes. It is committed to supporting pilgrims, especially those staying in the Accueil, by providing meaningful experiences and financial assistance to those in need. Photo Gallery Holy Hour and Anointing A very moving service was held this afternoon at St Bernadette (Carmel). As always everyone was warmly welcomed by young pilgrims on the door. The principal celebrant was Bishop Richard Walker and Bishop Timothy Menezes delivered a Reflection: I wonder what your expectations might have been in coming on this pilgrimage. I wonder for what you were hoping. And at this stage on our pilgrimage, I wonder whether those expectations and hopes have been fulfilled, or whether there have been some surprises, unexpected blessings along the way. In our Scripture Reading, we see the Apostles of Jesus, once mindful of their inadequacy, now confident in their capacity to heal in the name of the risen Jesus. It is so often said of this holy place of pilgrimage, that people have - over many generations - come here in search of a miracle. They don’t always receive the miracle they had in mind, but they do receive many graces. Answers to prayer, but not the ones they expected. Read Reflection in full Pilgrims had the opportunity to receive the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, whereby blessed oil is used to anoint the head and hands. There was also a period of Adoration and prayer. Photo Gallery
Wednesday 27 May 2026 Lourdes Pilgrimage Day 3 Expand International Mass Today the International Mass was celebrated at the Underground Basilica of St Pius X. Several thousand Catholics, on pilgrimage from across the world, gathered to remember the universality of the church and to pray together. Clergy from the Archdiocese of Birmingham concelebrated at the Mass, and we had pilgrims delivering a Bidding Prayer, taking part in the Offertory and processing with diocesan flags. Watch! Today's International Mass Photo Gallery Diocesan Photograph Taken at each pilgrimage by the professional photographers at Lourdes. The below are photos taken by the diocesan communications team and include some group shots (Bishop Ullathorne Catholic School, Healthcare Team and Senior Team). Youth Vigil Tonight a Youth Vigil was held at St Bernadette (Carmel side). Bishop Timothy Menezes opened the gathering and thanked all the young pilgrims for the work they are doing whilst in Lourdes. He referenced this year's pilgrimage theme, 'Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee' and discussed how Mary had embraced the path chosen for her, even though it was not her choice - "let's try and do the same," said Bishop Timothy. He urged those in attendance to "live in the moment this week" and "allow it to be a life-changing experience for you". He said when pilgrims return home there will be things they just can't explain to others, and so people are encouraged to visit Lourdes to experience Lourdes themselves. We also heard a personal testimony of faith from Séan Jones, currently part of the Kenelm Youth Trust (KYT) Mission Team. Plus Adoration, prayers, music and the opportunity to speak privately to members of the clergy. The youth teams do so much at our pilgrimage - supporting our assisted pilgrims, putting together presentations, delivering the readings and more - giving a lot of themselves. The Youth Vigil is a time for them to gather together and was followed by an Open Mic session. School groups attending Lourdes, together with the Kenelm Youth Trust (KYT) team, are essential to the continued success of the Pilgrimage. Photo Gallery
Tuesday 26 May 2026 Lourdes Pilgrimage Day 2 Expand Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto Mass Today the Opening Mass at the Grotto was celebrated alongside pilgrims from the Diocese of Middlesbrough, whose Bishop, Marcus Stock, was principal celebrant. Archbishop Bernard Longley delivered the Homily: He let his glory be seen and his disciples believed in him. For many of us this morning - and that includes all the Birmingham pilgrims - we are celebrating the Opening Mass of our pilgrimage to Lourdes. It is a great blessing for us to be together again this year with the Middlesbrough diocesan pilgrims and to share the sanctuary here with the Middlesbrough clergy, with dear Bishop John Crowley and with Bishop Marcus Stock - recalling his long personal association with Birmingham and praying for his new responsibilities in Middlesbrough and Hallam. Every pilgrimage to Lourdes is going to bring its measure of joyful surprises to the pilgrim filled with hope - and especially to those who are making this pilgrimage for the first time. Looking up at the grotto we can only imagine St Bernadette’s surprise at seeing Our Lady just here beside the River Gave. Whatever must have passed though her mind and her heart as she looked up at the vision of the beautiful lady? Read Homily in full The Mass was followed by the Accueil Passage through the Grotto, enabling our assisted pilgrims a private moment in the Grotto. Grotto Mass Livestream Replay Photo Gallery - Grotto Mass and Passage through the Grotto Reconciliation Service The Reconciliation Service in the afternoon was held at the Underground Basilica of St Pius X and we again celebrated with fellow pilgrims from the Diocese of Middlesbrough, whose clergy led the service and provided musical accompaniment. During the Service hundreds of people took the opportunity to attend individual confession. Photo Gallery Torchlight Procession Every night in Lourdes pilgrims gather to take part in the Marian procession, praying the rosary together as we walk, carrying candles as darkness falls. Tonight our young pilgrims led the procession with banners from across the Archdiocese, and we walked together in prayer, answering Mary's call. Our Archbishop, Bernard Longley, together with Bishops David Evans, Timothy Menezes and Richard Walker, and our Clergy here in Lourdes, were also part of the procession - following directly behind a lit glass case enshrining a statue of Mary. Archbishop Bernard also led us in prayer and a blessing. Thousands of people from all over the world were part of tonight's procession and at least four dioceses, including Birmingham, were represented. Photo Gallery Watch! Start of the Torchlight Procession Watch! End of Torchlight Procession
Monday 25 May 2026 Lourdes Pilgrimage Day 1 Expand Mary, Mother of the Church Today is arrival day, with hundreds of pilgrims travelling by three coaches and two flights throughout the day. Around 570 pilgrims from across the Archdiocese are making the journey. We think of our pilgrimage intentions: The Church throughout the worldHis Holiness, Pope Leo XIVThe Canonisation of Blessed Dominic BarberiOur ArchdioceseArchbishop Bernard LongleyBishop David Evans, Bishop Timothy Menezes, Bishop Richard WalkerBishop William Kenney, Bishop Philip PargeterOur Priests, Deacons, Religious & LaityVocations to the Priesthood, Diaconate and the Consecrated LifeThose whose Intentions we bring to LourdesAll those who celebrate anniversaries whilst here in LourdesAll who are SickAll Victims of Abuse, Injustice or ViolenceRefugees and Asylum SeekersThe Work of Stella Maris with SeafarersAll affected by WarOur BenefactorsThe Faithful Departed Novena Prayer for the Canonisation of Blessed Dominic Baberi O God, who so lovingly raised Blessed Dominic to the heights of holiness, learning and apostolic zeal and made him a powerful minister of your mercy, listen to our humble request. We pray that you will in your goodness, grant a miracle through the intercession of Blessed Dominic, so that the Church may further honour him on earth and that many more people will come to know and invoke the help of this faithful servant of the Church. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen. Mary, Mother of Holy Hope, Pray for Us. Saint John Henry Newman, Pray for Us. Blessed Dominic Barberi, Pray for Us. Photo GAllery: Mass at the Basilica Mass was held in the afternoon for those who had already arrived, in the Rosary Basilica. Frank Tota, who has cycled from Worcester to Lourdes to raise money for an overseas medical centre, attended the Mass on Monday afternoon. He said: "How fitting that our first Mass in Lourdes was on the feast day of Mary, Mother of the Church. Canon Brian McGinley, our beloved, former parish priest from St George's, Worcester, was the chief celebrant. "At the end of Mass, Canon Brian very kindly promoted the self-funded sponsored pilgrimage that I completed on Saturday. It humbled me to receive a round of applause from the pilgrims. "Canon Brian, whilst he was at St George's, was a huge supporter of our fundraising for the medical centre in Zimbabwe. Now in Lourdes, he continues to support the cause. God bless Canon Brian and his priestly vocation. "Many pilgrims then came to me, to donate money or collect a QR code from me. As a result, the amount donated has increased significantly. Thank you Birmingham Lourdes pilgrims for your generosity. Please continue to pray for the success of this project." Read blog posts of Frank's cycling adventures Please donate if you can, thank you