our MissionTo provide young people with the opportunity to journey on pilgrimage to Lourdes, France to serve as Christ’s hands and feet while they discover the joy, the beauty, and the power of the universality of the Catholic faith and servant Church, through service to the sick and handicapped.
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history of our Lady's Pilgrimage
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Our Lady's Pilgrimage has been bringing pilgrims to Lourdes to serve with the Hospitalité since 1993. It began with a small pilgrimage made up of the leadership team and students and faculty from Canterbury School and Portsmouth Abby. Over the years the program has expanded and grown to meet the needs of the pilgrims in order to allow for the continuation of the pilgrimage experience. The pilgrimages extended to include World Youth Day in Denver, Paris, France, and Cologne, Germany. In 2013 Our Lady's Pilgrimage, Inc incorporated as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization with the goal of widening the opportunity for youth in the US to serve on pilgrimage.
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“Young people should tell the world that it is good, joyful to follow Jesus, to walk along with Him and believe in His message. It is good to go beyond one’s limits and existence to teach others about Jesus. Three words: joy, cross, and youth.” |
about the pilgrimages
The OLP program consists of four pilgrimages of 20-40 people, each approximately 8 days in length. There are two levels of pilgrimages: New and Stage. New pilgrimages tend to be first time pilgrims made up of high school sophomores through seniors. Stage trips are for older students, primarily high school seniors though college age students, and those who wish to make a commitment to working for the Hospitalité through the Stage program and training.
In the 2019 OLP took ninety-one pilgrims on pilgrimage. Forty-eight of the pilgrims were there for their first experience and forty-three had chosen to return on pilgrimage. Our pilgrims come from several areas of the United States: Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, New York greater metro area, Albany, Atlanta, Minnesota, Boston, St. Louis, and the US Virgin Islands. Each pilgrimage has a chaplain, adult leaders, two seminarians, and a nurse or doctor to support the participants.
The Lourdes experience is an intense week; during which the group develops very close friendships. Each student enriches the trip because of who they are. The evening reflections are when pilgrims have the time to share and reflect on their experiences during the day. This profound time of genuine sharing and listening is a confirmation that OLP’s mission is important and relevant to the needs of the youth today.
In the 2019 OLP took ninety-one pilgrims on pilgrimage. Forty-eight of the pilgrims were there for their first experience and forty-three had chosen to return on pilgrimage. Our pilgrims come from several areas of the United States: Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, New York greater metro area, Albany, Atlanta, Minnesota, Boston, St. Louis, and the US Virgin Islands. Each pilgrimage has a chaplain, adult leaders, two seminarians, and a nurse or doctor to support the participants.
The Lourdes experience is an intense week; during which the group develops very close friendships. Each student enriches the trip because of who they are. The evening reflections are when pilgrims have the time to share and reflect on their experiences during the day. This profound time of genuine sharing and listening is a confirmation that OLP’s mission is important and relevant to the needs of the youth today.
Visit What to Expect to learn more about the Lourdes experience.
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Our Lady's Pilgrimage is a 503(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
© 2021 Our Lady's Pilgrimage, Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
