St Gabriel’s Catholic Women’s League and neighbouring parishes Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Lourdes, Cleator
The Treasurer of Ormesby’s Section of the Catholic Women’s League (CWL) organised a wonderful pilgrimage to Our Lady of Lourdes, Cleator on Sunday 7th†September 2008. All who were lucky enough to attend felt spiritually uplifted by the visit and eagerly anticipate a return visit next year.
We were a diverse group of male and female pilgrims, setting out on that wet Sunday morning. Our ages ranged from primary school children to young professional women just embarking on their chosen careers to respected, retired parish members adding their weight of wealth of experiences to this one day pilgrimage.
The sun shone on us as we reached Cleator and indeed stayed fine to allow us to process to the ‘little Lourdes’ after a very uplifting Mass. The Principal Celebrant at Mass was Bishop Michael Campbell, leading us in a wonderful celebration. It culminated in a brief insight into Cenacolo of Kendal, when a young man of that community enlightened us on the trials of his life and others like him, and how the community through God’s grace, had given sense and meaning to what had been a broken life. It was inspiring.
Whilst journeying to and from Cleator, we played fundraising games, in the good ‘Catholic tradition’, raising £175.00 which was generously doubled on the day by a pilgrim, for amputee victims of the civil war in Sierra Leone. We know that this cause is supported in other areas of our Diocese and we will be pleased to send off our contribution, raised on such a special day.
Everyone on our pilgrimage would recommend to you to put this event into your diaries for next year. We know you would enjoy it just as we did.
Pat Gray
St Gabriel's CWL Ormesby Section Chairwoman