The St Bernadette Relic Tour team have released a film commemorating last year’s visit, which included stops at Middlesbrough, Hull and Ampleforth.

The tour reached one in four UK Catholics, with thousands of people participating in the visit.

The relics of St Bernadette began their 11,500-mile journey from the sanctuary in Lourdes to churches, cathedrals, a hospital and one prison, offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to people of all faiths and none to visit the saint’s sacred relics at one of 52 public venues.

The tour marked the first time St Bernadette’s relics had visited the UK and people journeyed in prayer to be part of the experience.
Organisers say a quarter of a million people participated in the two-month tour, with many more participating online in prayer services, vigils and special Masses.

The life and legacy of St Bernadette has touched the lives of many millions of people across

the world.

More than 150 years after the first pilgrimages began, Lourdes remains one of the busiest Christian pilgrimage sites in the world, and the Catholic Church acknowledged 70 miracles as having taken place there.

More than 500kg of prayer cards written by UK pilgrims visiting St Bernadette’s relics were

delivered to the Grotto in Lourdes by relic tour drivers Bob Lavery, from St Aelred’s Parish, York, and Gerry O’Malley at the close of the pilgrimage in October.
To commemorate the visit and to offer a small glimpse of the many graces made possible during the pilgrimage, the team behind the tour have released a special legacy film on YouTube.

A spokesperson from the relic tour team said: “The arrival of St Bernadette’s relics to the

UK was a great blessing, particularly after the Covid-19 pandemic, offering a spiritually enriching opportunity for people to gather together at churches and cathedrals across three nations.
“We hope this short film encourages people to reflect on the message of St Bernadette and consider visiting Lourdes themselves in the future.”

You can watch the film at youtu.be/3HY8iT2GioM or search “St Bernadette UK”.