French bishop to speak on Lourdes Jubilee

The Bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes Jacques Perrier is in the UK next week to discuss the Jubilee celebrations of the apparitions at the Marian shrine of Lourdes in France.

In 1858 in Lourdes the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to Bernadette Soubirous 18 times. Since then Lourdes has become a place of pilgrimage for Christians worldwide and a place where the sick and disabled can find hope of healing. Over six million visitors flock to Lourdes each year.

The Jubilee celebrations will comprise of 12 "Missions" to address the needs of the Church. Throughout the year the Missions will be expressed by a diverse range of pilgrimage groups sharing their experience, faith and witness.

Two people connected with the missions will also be at the press conference on Monday. Fr Graeme Rowlands from the Society of Mary is involved with Mission 4, 'The Church in Mission for Christian Unity.'

This Mission will run two events next year. The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in January 2008 and a joint Catholic-Anglican pilgrimage in September 2008. They are organised by the Church of England Society of Mary and the local Catholic community in England.

Richard King from HCPT, a pilgrimage trust working with people with disabilities, will also be attending the press conference. He is involved with Mission 7, 'The Church in Mission with people with Disability.' This will involve a HCPT Lourdes Jubilee pilgrimage in March 2008.

The Jubilee celebrations will officially begin on 8th December this year on the feast of the Immaculate Conception and will last for one year, closing on 8th December 2008.