HCPT is a Catholic charity with a vision of “changing lives through pilgrimage, sharing God’s gifts of love, friendship and joy”.

The charity exists to help our pilgrims answer Mary’s call to come to Lourdes in procession, a request she made to us through Bernadette.

We come from all walks of life, and from all faiths and none. Our services are open to all.

While many of our volunteer helpers are practising Catholics or have been brought up within the Catholic church, this is not a requirement. Many non-catholic helpers return to Lourdes with us year after year.

Many describe their HCPT pilgrimage holiday as a “spiritual” experience. For some, this is rooted in their religious beliefs, for others it is purely about the positive effects of caring, sharing and seeing the world from the point of view of others.

Masses form an important part of the HCPT experience. These are designed with our pilgrims in mind, and the worship is always lively.

Website of the Catholic Church of England and Wales

Website of the Catholic Church of Scotland

Website of The Vatican

Sue talks about her health and how her faith helps: