Sunday 18 February 2007

Our Lady of Lourdes Mass

The statue of Our Lady of Lourdes stands ready to be carried in procession for yesterday afternoon's Mass. A new venture, the Mass both marked the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes last weekend, and also signalled the beginning of preparations for the annual Diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes in July.

The Cardinal celebrated the Mass with a packed Cathedral, while the statue of Our Lady was carried by some of the famed 'red caps' (in fact 'red jackets') who work with the sick in the hospital at Lourdes during the pilgrimage.

The annual Diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes was founded by Cardinal Hume, and has remained popular. The Cathedral parish group will be led this year by Fr Christopher Tuckwell.

Mass was provided by a Diocesan choir, led by Canon Pat Browne, whose warm Irish tones are well known at Lourdes.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi

I was at the mass and though it was very good. Was His Eminence unwell at the mass? I saw him return to his cathedra instead of distributing communion?

Mark Langham said...

Since his hip operation, the Cardinal finds it difficult to stand for long periods, and sometimes he has to be seated, rather than distribute Holy Communion.

Anonymous said...

I was at the Mass, and it was a great occasion and a delight to attend. I think, however, that Canon Pat's choir needed more microphones or better situating, becuase without proper amplification, sound on the altar just shoots straight up to the ceiling high above; it's probably the mosr difficult part of the Cathedral to be heard form without a mike. What I could hear of the choir was lovely, however, and did bring back memories of services in Lourdes.