Bishop Paul Hendricks concludes 'Lourdesathon' with online Mass

Bishop Paul Hendricks with Deacon Allan MacDonald

Bishop Paul Hendricks has been taking part in what he calls "a fun challenge", walking the equivalent distance between Britain and Lourdes in a 'Lourdesathon' and raising money for the Lourdes Sanctuaries this month. "The beautiful pilgrimage site in France is incredibly close to my heart," he said. Normally Bishop Paul, Chair of the Catholic Association, would have led their annual pilgrimage. The Catholic Association has been organising pilgrimages for over 100 years to the site of St.Bernadette's visions of Our Lady, which attracts millions, including the Catholic Association's one thousand assisted pilgrims and their helpers on their annual pilgrimage to the Sanctuaries. However, due to Covid 19 no pilgrimages have been able to take place since 2019.

On Saturday at midday he celebrated the Association's opening Lourdes Virtual . Pilgrimage mass at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, New Malden. He was assisted by seminarian, Deacon Allan MacDonald. This can be viewed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=67XpJ1HrAIo.

St Joseph's was selected as they were one of the first churches to start live streaming masses during the pandemic. During his homily Bishop Hendricks said that he finds God when responding pastorally with people going through difficult times, celebrating with them in special times, visiting the sick or those who are anxious, "When I can help to bring God into someone 's life - that's when I feel his presence most.....The experience of Lourdes," he said, "helps my faith to become more grounded, more solidly rooted, more practical."

He highlighted the service of those who regularly go to Lourdes to help and support those who need assistance in varied ways as reflecting the ideals of the Gospel.

Bishop Paul, an avid walker, has been walking up to 12.5 km a day over the last month before breakfast, despite injuring his calf muscle a few days after commencing the challenge . During his Lourdesathon he has been saying the rosary as he walked, praying each of the twenty decades for particular intentions. His habit of praying the entire Rosary whilst walking has a novel origin.

Last year his rescue cat, Marmite, went missing for two weeks. The bishop and Marmite were staying with his family at the time, and they put up posters of the black moggy, anxiously searching the streets before he was safely found. Bishop Paul said that he prayed intensively at that time and realised that his prayers previously had lacked a degree of urgency! Since then he has said the whole rosary on his daily early morning walks reminding himself of all those who need prayers with a different intention in each decade.

To donate to Bishop Paul's fundraiser see: https://catholicassociation.enthuse.com/cf/ca-lourdesathlon-2021#t