Summer Volunteering in Lourdes, France!
25th July - 1st August 2025
The cost is £350 Students only! All non-students are invited to registered direct to the Westminster Diocese.
There are other Grants available if needed.
The costs of a pilgrimage, frustratingly, are continuously on the increase. Aside from starting to save early and casting around for the most cost-effective options for travel and hotels, there are many places you can ask for help. Giving a week of your time in service of the sick is something which plenty will be keen to support.
There are numerous charities that you can apply to for funding, such as The Catenians (
https://www.catenianbursary.com/lourdes-award);
The Alistair Roberts Memorial Fund (www.armf.org.uk) (Deadline usually 1st March);
and the Jack Petchey Foundation (www.jackpetcheyfoundation.org.uk), and many of your family, friends and fellow parishioners may also be keen to put their hands in their pockets if you want to do some fundraising to help facilitate your service.
Each year the Chaplains & a group of students travel to Lourdes with the Westminster Diocese to help care for sick pilgrims. We go as St Frai Helpers. We travel as a group, and we serve as a team.
Volunteers are fully trained before leaving and supported throughout the week. It is a wonderful experience of service, community, faith and pilgrimage.
The role of a St Frai Helper includes caring for the most vulnerable pilgrims of the Diocese. Duties may include personal care of an assisted pilgrim. I.E. washing, dressing and befriending.
The cost is £350 for students: This includes travel from Stansted airport to Lourdes, accommodation and food. You will need to make your own way to Stansted Airport. In addition to this you will need to purchase travel insurance.
The cost for non-students is approx. £1,000
Summer Volunteering:
Your commitment: While we are in Lourdes we help to care for the sick of the Westminster Diocese and we work in the St Frai. The St Frai is a sort of hospital where we care for the sick during their pilgrimage to Lourdes. We will work alongside a group of nurses and doctors to deliver the sort of help for which you don’t need any kind of medical training – helping our pilgrims get up, wash, dress etc.
In order to make the pilgrimage: You will attend a Training session and have a DBS check, which will be free of charge.
How to book:
1. Complete the application form (see link below).
2. Pay your deposit at the reception desk at Newman House.
https://forms.office.com/r/AnDjUwQ40T
Also check out other Nonprofit events in Makati, Workshops in Makati.
