2012 CA changes

News from the Catholic Association Trustees

New appointments to the Pilgrimage Management Team

Chief Nurse

As advised in the recent Hospitalité Newsletter, Rachel Easton has been confirmed as Chief Nurse and will be in this role for the 2012 pilgrimage. If you know any nurses who are interested in joining the Pilgrimage, please pass them Rachel's contact details - chief_nurse@catholicassociation.co.uk

Chaplain to the Sick & CA Hospitalité

The newsletter also contained the news of the appointment of Fr Antony Lester, O.Carm as Chaplain to the Sick and to the Hospitalité.

Young Helpers’ Group Leaders

Shortly before Christmas, Becky Banfield regretfully informed the Trustees that she was unable to take on the role of Leader of the Young Helpers Group. Luckily David and Judy Ball, who live in Norwich, are prepared to take on this major pilgrimage responsibility.

David and Judy are well known to the Pilgrimage, and have been coming to Lourdes as a family for many years. Judy has been the Director of Music in Lourdes for the past few years, and David has been an elected member of the Hospitalité Council since 2010 and was deputy of the ceremonies team in 2011. They can be contacted by email using young_helpers@catholicassociation.co.uk or by phone on 01603 456627.

Tangney Tours were very flexible, and held back from printing the Pilgrimage Brochure while these arrangements were finalised. Those of you who travel with Tangney Tours should receive the CA Pilgrimage brochure and booking form in the next few days.

Music Group

Before they knew about this new role, Judy had already advised the CA Trustees that she wanted to step down as Director of Music after the 2012 pilgrimage. This role will be taken by Catherine Christmas of Portsmouth Diocese, who has been part of the music group for several years. She will work closely with Judy during 2012 to enable a smooth transition, and take overall responsibility from the end of the year.

East Anglia Diocesan Director

And finally - Ian Hatfield stepped down as East Anglia Diocesan Director at the end of the 2011 Pilgrimage. This role will now be taken by two Suffolk based deacons as a job-share. During the year, supporting publicity, recruitment etc, the main responsibility will be with Rev Alan McMahon who lives in Bury St Edmunds, phone 01284 756324. In Lourdes, the group will be led by Rev Clive Brooks who lives in East Bergholt. They can both be contacted at: eastanglia@catholicassociation.co.uk

Contact details for all members of the management team can be found here.

The Trustees would like to thank all these people who are volunteering their time to organise various aspects of the Pilgrimage, and we welcome them all to the management team.

Nurses

The CA Hospitalité would like to ask all members who live in any of the CA Dioceses (Clifton, East Anglia, Northampton, Portsmouth, and Southwark) to contact their local hospital chaplains and see if they would be interested in putting up a poster about our Pilgrimage, and particularly our appeal for more nurses. Please use the posters below...

• East Anglia Diocese
• Northampton Diocese
• Portsmouth Diocese
• Southwark Diocese

Nurses Reunion

The Chief Nurse, Sue Woodford, invites all CA Nurses to a reunion in March.

There will be a Lourdes CA Nurses Reunion in Cambridge on Saturday 26th March at 11am in Our Lady and the English Martyrs Church Hall. This will be followed by Mass at 12.30pm, celebrated by Fr Simon Blakesley.

Afterwards, attendees are welcome to join Sue in town for some lunch.

If you are able to attend, please email Sue here.

Sponsored Walk 2011

This year the CA Sponsored walk will be along the famous and ancient Thames Path in London. It will be taking place on 7 May 2011.

We've chosen this not just for it wonderful scenery but also because it's an accessible route for most walkers, easy to get to and easy to extend for the more adventurous!

Bring your kids, bring your friends, bring your dog, but most important of all, raise some money for the CA to help us take sick, elderly or disabled people on a well deserved holiday and a rewarding pilgrimage to Lourdes.

All money raised goes towards the CA Hospitalite Sick Fund/Way Donnelly Fund, and to CA Trust to help nurses come with us.

Please sponsor us here: http://www.bmycharity.com/SW2011. Or, if you would like to join us on this walk, please let us know by email to (sponsoredwalk@catholicassociation.co.uk) or by visiting our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=110335642376182

THANK YOU!

John Kelly and Matt Betts

Help the Pilgrimage

An appeal to all our Hospitalité members and others...

One of the important commitments we make as Hospitalité members is to help promote the Pilgrimage in our homes and parishes.

For our Pilgrimage in August 2011 (19 – 26 August), the CA Hospitalité is appealing for everyone to invite any friends, family members or fellow parishioners who might want to come to Lourdes as an assisted pilgrim, or as a volunteer helper in order to help provide the support that our assisted pilgrims need.

The CA Hospitalité Council have produced a promotional poster and letter, and we would be grateful if members could place it in their local parish church, local school/university, or wherever they think people would be interested. We would also be grateful if each member could add themselves as a local contact in the space provided, so that people can enquire further; or if you would rather not be the local contact, please add your Diocesan/Group Director as the contact (click here for list).

If people contact you about the CA Pilgrimage, lots of information can be found on the CA website FAQ pages, or if they contact you to come as:

• a volunteer helper, please ask them to contact us on volunteer@catholicassociation.co.uk
  
• an assisted pilgrim, please ask them to contact their Diocesan/Group Director (click here for list)

Download the promotional poster here.

If you would like to help the Council further in their promotion, please contact us here.

Thank you for your help!

CA Hospitalité Council

Volunteer helpers - 2011 Pilgrimage

Our next Pilgrimage takes place from 19 – 26 August 2011, Each year, the Catholic Association Hospitalité of Our Lady of Lourdes is responsible for coordinating the welcome and care of pilgrims, especially our assisted pilgrims, who come to Lourdes.

If you are planning to travel independently, please view our form and further details by clicking on the link below.

• Apply to be a Volunteer Helper
• Further information our Pilgrimage

Changes in the Pilgrimage

The CA Trustees and Hospitalité Council would like to thank the outgoing Heads of Service - Sadie Vile, Frances Presgraves and Trevor Fernandes who have all done sterling work over the years. Thank you for your service.

We would also like to welcome Anna Jackson, Sue Woodford and Adam Farmer who will be taking on these roles and wish them well in the next few years.

Our Hospitalité Secretary, Matt Betts is also standing down after five years in the role, and we would like to thank him for his work. Nimal Hemelge will succeed him as Secretary from the AGM 2009.