Preparations are well underway for the visit of the relics of St Bernadette to three locations in our diocese in October.
The events are part of a national St Bernadette Relic Tour that followed a request to the Lourdes authorities by the Catholic bishops of England and Wales.
It is being coordinated by the Association of Lourdes Pilgrimage Directors of Great Britain.
Every diocese in England and Wales will host the relics, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to spend time with them.
The relics will be received at St Mary’s Cathedral, Middlesbrough, at noon on Sunday October 2 and depart on Monday October 3 at 1pm.
They will be available for veneration at Ampleforth Abbey from 1.30pm to 5pm that afternoon, before being taken to the Diocese of Hallam.
They will return to our diocese when they are welcomed on Wednesday October 5 at 7pm at Our Lady of Lourdes & St Peter Chanel Church, Hull, before departing at 7am the following morning.
A detailed programme of services is being put together and there will be opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, for silent prayer, time to venerate the relics and in Middlesbrough, we will be able to take part in the water gesture that takes place at the baths, as pilgrims experienced in Lourdes this year.
Relics are a sign of God’s presence in his saints and a focus for our prayer and the bodies of Christian martyrs have been held in special veneration since the early days of the Church.
Thousands of people came to venerate the relics of St Thérèse of Lisieux when they came to the diocese in 2009 and there is expected to be a similar level of interest this time.     
St Bernadette was born into a poor family in 1844, one of eight children. Although initially unremarkable, Bernadette’s life was to inspire generations of people to journey in faith on pilgrimage to Lourdes.
Between February 11 and July 16 1858, Bernadette saw the Virgin Mary 18 times in a series of apparitions that took place in a cave on the outskirts of Lourdes, a place now known as the Grotto of Massabielle.
During these miraculous encounters, Bernadette, then aged just 14, became the friend and confidante of Our Lady, the mother of Jesus.
The apparitions were authenticated in 1866 by the Bishop of Tarbes. Later that year, Bernadette left Lourdes to live out her religious vocation within the community of the Sisters of Charity of Nevers. She died in 1879 and became a saint in 1933.
Diocese of Middlesbrough Lourdes director Keith Tillotson said: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for everyone to experience a little bit of Lourdes here in our own diocese.
“We returned to Lourdes this year after a two-year break for the pandemic and the pilgrimage was a resounding success, as everyone came together in friendship, prayer and fraternity.
“Many of us have a special devotion to Our Lady and St Bernadette and the tour is a fantastic chance for a public demonstration of our faith.
“The visit will enable us to share in the many gifts and graces the relics tour will bring and encourage us to journey towards our 70th Lourdes pilgrimage, when we will visit the shrine from May 26 to June 2 2023.
“We hope as many people as possible will spare a short period of their time to help make this tour a wonderful experience.”
Writing about the tour, Cardinal  Vincent Nichols said: “As we welcome the relics of St Bernadette to the United Kingdom we are also reminded of the special significance of Lourdes as a place of pilgrimage and of love, where people of all ages serve and care for the sick and the most vulnerable in our society.
“I would encourage those people who are able to, to consider continuing the journey begun by the relics of St Bernadette this autumn, joining with people from their parishes and dioceses to travel on pilgrimage to Lourdes in the weeks and months ahead.”
Please spread the word about this unique event. Everybody is welcome from all denominations, including people who may not have a faith or are struggling with their faith.
For more information about the tour, visit stbernadette.org.uk.