As the sun set over the Pyrenees mountains, volunteers and pilgrims from around the world reflected on newfound relationships and strengthened faiths.  Sacred Heart Greenwich Upper School students and faculty ventured to Lourdes, France on the annual Ampleforth Pilgrimage July 10 to July 20.  The group included Mrs. Maureen Considine, Director of Upper School Ministry and Sacristan, and seniors Olivia Antenucci, Allie Petrizzo, Lily Carroll, Charly Nemec, Caroline McKeown, Sophia Lostumbo, and Teresa Harkins.  Alumnae Ms. Bella Nardis ’24 and Ms. Avery Kim ’24 joined the students in Lourdes and immersed themselves in service through helping Assisted Pilgrims and discovering more about their faiths.

Lourdes, France is a small town nestled in the Pyrenees mountains with a rich history of spiritual and physical healing.  The story of Lourdes began with a young shepard girl, Saint Bernadette Soubirous, who witnessed 18 apparitions of the Virgin Mary in the nearby region.  Mary instructed the girl to wash her hands in a spring that miraculously appeared.  Mary then revealed herself to St. Bernadette as the Immaculate Conception.  The sacred site then began to attract pilgrims from around the world as people believe that the spring water contains healing powers.  Every year, more than five million pilgrims visit Lourdes, according to cptv.pbs.learningmedia.org.

Each summer Sacred Heart travels to Lourdes with Ampleforth Abbey, a Benedictine school in northern England that has traveled to Lourdes and accompanied sick pilgrims for over 70 years.  Sacred Heart also joins other schools, such as Portsmouth Abbey, a Benedictine boarding school in Rhode Island.  This summer, seven Sacred Heart seniors journeyed to Lourdes on the pilgrimage.  Olivia reflected on why she wanted to go on the spiritual trip.

“I wanted to go on this trip because […] I had heard so much about how it was a really formative experience,” Olivia said.  “I heard about how [the past seniors] learned about their faith and saw the impact that their service had on other people, which inspired me to go on this trip.”

Students experienced a variety of immersing activities and opportunities to develop their personal faith and embrace their relationship with God and others.  Each day, the volunteers aided a specific assisted pilgrim, who were either ill or elderly.  Volunteers worked various shifts to help the assisted pilgrims, such as going shopping or playing cards.  Each night, volunteers went and processed through the grotto, lit with candles and filled with an atmosphere of faith.  Pilgrims also took part in daily processions throughout the grotto, both in the morning and evening.  Lily shared her experience during the pilgrimage and how inspiring this trip was for her.

“It’s really inspiring to see the faith of different people who go there [to] seek[] healing,” Lily said.  “It is such a special place for them, and I think that kind of rubs off on everybody else who goes.  It was so special [to] see[] how universal faith is and how so many people gather together to help those in need.  [B]eing ready to help and serve others can be truly transformative.”

In addition to fostering community and building an atmosphere of service, the pilgrimage to Lourdes encouraged students to grow on their own faith journeys.  Students had the ability to form connections with assisted pilgrims as well as other students they met while in Lourdes.  Mrs. Considine discussed why this opportunity offers a transformative experience for students to delve into the deeper meaning of faith and the intersection of service and spirituality.

“I think that there are three ways this trip helps students deepen their own faith life,” Mrs. Considine said.  “Our girls have a variety of jobs whether it is working in the dining room, assisting with dressing, or preparing the APs for transport. It is during these moments of encounter that you have time to develop a relationship with someone you’ve never met before, and someone who has come from a completely different background.  Second, by participating in the wealth of spiritual experience that are part of one’s day, processions, liturgies, visits to the Grotto, these are the instances which provide an individual encounter with the Divine.  Finally, there is a tremendous sense of community in Lourdes, which is particularly apparent at the International mass where thousands of pilgrims from all over the world gather to pray as one. Here, one sees the universality of our faith and how this experience itself can be a source of healing and peace for many.”

Featured Image by Avery Quake ‘26