Our 100th Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes will take place from Friday 31st July until Friday 7th August.
We invited people to share their memories of Lourdes and were delighted to receive a handed down family account of that very first pilgrimage in 1926 – complete with photographs!
You can read the story of Matthew Havelock here
Earlier this month, James Lawson shared his particularly unforgettable memories.
James explained;
“In 1980, St. Columbus Church in Wallsend was part of the Pilgrimage to Lourdes.
“There were spare places, so St. Columbus invited parishioners from the neighbouring St Francis Church in Walkergate to join them. My family were members of St Francis, so I ended up on the trip.
“We travelled on old buses and stayed in tents and took turns to cook for everyone.
“The late Fr Michael Finnegan was there with us (he is in most of the photographs…) There was also a young lady there who I hadn’t met before as she wasn’t part of my parish….
“Pauline and I were married at St. Columbus in April 1983 – three years after meeting each other on our Pilgrimage to Lourdes.
“We have two children and two grandchildren and are now parishioners at English Martyrs, in Fenham.
“We will always be thankful for spare seats on a bus!…”
