Background and history of HCPT - The Pilgrimage Trust:
HCPT - The Pilgrimage Trust was formed in 1956 after a young doctor, Michael Strode first took four young children with disabilities on a pilgrimage holiday to Lourdes and at the same time revolutionised the way children with disabilities could experience a trip to the famous International shrine in the foothills of the French Pyrenees.
Not content with letting the children stay in local hospitals and hospices, Dr Michael wanted them to stay in hotels as honoured guests and to get as much out of their holiday as other children – trips to cafes, donkey rides in the mountains and the warmth and affection of a holiday amongst caring friends.
Over 60 years later HCPT now takes nearly 3,000 children from the UK, Ireland and increasingly from other countries in Europe and the USA. The children have a wide range of physical and mental disabilities or are physically and emotionally deprived or neglected. Cared for by voluntary helpers, both young and old, from all walks of life including doctors, nurses and chaplains, most of whom pay for themselves, the total size of the annual Easter Pilgrimage is now over 5,000.
A few facts and figures of interest:
The apparitions of The Blessed Virgin Mary to St Bernadette first occurred in 1858 and by 1860 thousands of pilgrims began to visit the shrine. Since that time over 200 million pilgrims have visited Lourdes.
Lourdes is 497 miles south of Paris and is one of the most visited Holy Catholic Shrines in the world.
HCPT is a registered charity with 15 regions across the UK and has 200 groups within those regions.
Wrexham (Group 155) and Llandudno (Group 178) were both formed in 1985 with each separate group initially taking 8 – 10 children aged between 8 and 18 years and to date, we have taken between the two groups, almost 600 children to Lourdes to give them a special holiday.
In the summer of 2017, it was decided to merge both groups to form one large Wrexham Group 155 to cover the whole of Wrexham Diocese. At Easter 2018, we aim to take a large group of special needs deserving children on a pilgrimage led by Bishop Peter and we make an appeal for parishioners, teachers, voluntary sector workers and parents to nominate a child who you feel would benefit from such a trip.
There are no costs attributed to the families as we conduct year round fundraising events to ensure all children are adequately financed and catered for.
We also appeal for new volunteers aged over 16 years of age and subject to DBS to come and join us and gain invaluable experience in helping these deserving young people.
If you are interested in joining HCPT in any capacity or would like to nominate a child please contact Chris Corcoran at Bishops House on 01978 266700 who will collate on behalf of the Diocese and pass details on to our group leader Siobhan Edwards. Alternatively, for local contact for Llandudno and North Wales coast area, please contact Colette Owen on 01492 593939.
The Group will be travelling to Lourdes, led by Bishop Peter and Canon Simon Treloar on Monday 2nd April 2018 (Easter Monday) and returning on Saturday 7th April 2018.
HCPT - The Pilgrimage Trust was formed in 1956 after a young doctor, Michael Strode first took four young children with disabilities on a pilgrimage holiday to Lourdes and at the same time revolutionised the way children with disabilities could experience a trip to the famous International shrine in the foothills of the French Pyrenees.
Not content with letting the children stay in local hospitals and hospices, Dr Michael wanted them to stay in hotels as honoured guests and to get as much out of their holiday as other children – trips to cafes, donkey rides in the mountains and the warmth and affection of a holiday amongst caring friends.
Over 60 years later HCPT now takes nearly 3,000 children from the UK, Ireland and increasingly from other countries in Europe and the USA. The children have a wide range of physical and mental disabilities or are physically and emotionally deprived or neglected. Cared for by voluntary helpers, both young and old, from all walks of life including doctors, nurses and chaplains, most of whom pay for themselves, the total size of the annual Easter Pilgrimage is now over 5,000.
A few facts and figures of interest:
The apparitions of The Blessed Virgin Mary to St Bernadette first occurred in 1858 and by 1860 thousands of pilgrims began to visit the shrine. Since that time over 200 million pilgrims have visited Lourdes.
Lourdes is 497 miles south of Paris and is one of the most visited Holy Catholic Shrines in the world.
HCPT is a registered charity with 15 regions across the UK and has 200 groups within those regions.
Wrexham (Group 155) and Llandudno (Group 178) were both formed in 1985 with each separate group initially taking 8 – 10 children aged between 8 and 18 years and to date, we have taken between the two groups, almost 600 children to Lourdes to give them a special holiday.
In the summer of 2017, it was decided to merge both groups to form one large Wrexham Group 155 to cover the whole of Wrexham Diocese. At Easter 2018, we aim to take a large group of special needs deserving children on a pilgrimage led by Bishop Peter and we make an appeal for parishioners, teachers, voluntary sector workers and parents to nominate a child who you feel would benefit from such a trip.
There are no costs attributed to the families as we conduct year round fundraising events to ensure all children are adequately financed and catered for.
We also appeal for new volunteers aged over 16 years of age and subject to DBS to come and join us and gain invaluable experience in helping these deserving young people.
If you are interested in joining HCPT in any capacity or would like to nominate a child please contact Chris Corcoran at Bishops House on 01978 266700 who will collate on behalf of the Diocese and pass details on to our group leader Siobhan Edwards. Alternatively, for local contact for Llandudno and North Wales coast area, please contact Colette Owen on 01492 593939.
The Group will be travelling to Lourdes, led by Bishop Peter and Canon Simon Treloar on Monday 2nd April 2018 (Easter Monday) and returning on Saturday 7th April 2018.
