As the churches across our Diocese are filled for Sunday Mass today, Bishop Richard and our Lourdes pilgrims will gather with thousands of other pilgrims for the International Mass.

This Mass ("Messe Internationale de Lourdes") should be available to watch live on the Lourdes YouTube page at 9.30am French time/8.30am UK time: click here to visit the page.

The International Mass takes place on Sundays and Wednesdays and is concelebrated by six or more bishops and hundreds of priests, who are with the pilgrimages in Lourdes at that time. Thousands of the lay faithful attend each week in the summer months.

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Let us thank God for the universality of our Catholic faith and the wonderful diversity of the Church.

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In the afternoon there will be opportunities to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

At 9pm, the Pilgrimage will take part in the Torchlight Procession.

The Torchlight procession dates back to the earliest times when pilgrims would end their day’s pilgrimage by saying the rosary together and singing hymns to Our Lady.

All participants carry a lighted candle which is a reminder of our baptism, when we received the gift of faith. In Lourdes, the candlelit procession bears witness to our faith, hope and love of God and a reminder that we are called to be ‘the light of Christ’ to all we meet in the world.

Eventually all those processing are gathered in front of the Rosary Basilica and the evening concludes with a hymn to Our Lady and the Episcopal Blessing.

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You can read the Pilgrimage Handbook, to follow the Pilgrimage's prayers, Masses and events, by clicking the button below.‍