Roles in the Hospitalité
A pilgrimage is a journey to a holy place in a desire to deepen our relationship with God; it is a spiritual experience. A second but very important reason is to share our pilgrimage with others, especially those who are sick or disabled and need the support of a helper.
Volunteers in the Liverpool Hospitalité of Our Lady of Lourdes welcome and care for other pilgrims, in particular the Assisted Pilgrims who stay in the Accueil St. Frai whilst in Lourdes with us. We provide care and support 24/7, and the work is varied and can be very demanding, both physically and emotionally. Due to the nature of the work Hospitaliers should be fit and emotionally stable. Hospitaliers must be at least 18 years of age and are required to comply with the Archdiocesan Safeguarding policy.
Essential qualities sought in a prospective Hospitalier are:
- Caring attitude
- Responsible behaviour and sensitive to the needs of others – no member should behave in a manner which could offend others or bring the name of the Hospitalité into disrepute
- Respect for confidentiality in all aspects of dealings with Assisted Pilgrims.
Typical activities that may be undertaken by Hospitaliers:
- Pray together with other pilgrims
- Listen to and talk with pilgrims
- Assist sick and disabled pilgrims with mobility, such as assisting a sick or disabled person into or out of bed, or from chair to wheelchair and vice-versa
- Assist sick and disabled pilgrims with washing, dressing and other personal needs
- Assist at mealtimes
- Visit the Grotto and attend services, including daily Mass, and take part in processions
- Be available at all times to be of service to those in need
- Attend preparation days prior to the pilgrimage
The work of our Hospitalité covers a wide range of tasks and responsibilities, and as such there are a number of teams which cover particular aspects of the roles.
These include:
Healthcare Team. This includes doctors, nurses, and other medical specialists. The team is led by the Senior Medical Officer and the Healthcare Team Lead; both of these positions are appointed by the Pilgrimage Executive. Starting with medical assessments pre-pilgrimage, the provide support and care to Assisted Pilgrims on our journey by plane or Jumbulance, and 24/7 in the St. Frai during our pilgrimage week.
Ward Team. Providing 24/7 cover in the St. Frai, these volunteers cover much of the physical care needs of our pilgrims, as well as day to day support in their pilgrimage.
Tea Bar Team. This team does exactly what it says on the tin, looking after our pilgrims and fellow hospitalité with tea (and coffee) throughout each day, for meal and social times.
Refectory Team. Our Assisted Pilgrims staying in the St. Frai receive full-board accommodation, with 3 meals daily. This team helps in all aspects of the mealtimes, and in particular makes sure any special dietary requests for our pilgrims are covered.
Ground Floor Team. When our Assisted Pilgrims leave the St. Frai for Masses, services or other social activities, this team ensure their safety in an area which can at times become busy with people and vehicles from other pilgrimages. They also ensure our pilgrims are all-set to leave, with items ready for whatever weather that day holds!
Esplanade Team. This team looks after the safety and security of our pilgrims once they have gone out of the St. Frai accommodation. Ensuring safe passage to the domain for services, or monitoring when our pilgrims are out shopping or socialising, they cover a wide area of Lourdes, and help make sure our Masses and services can start on time, with pilgrims in the venues safely.
Equipment Team. A pilgrimage of our size, and with the care and support we provide, needs a lot of items of equipment in order to work smoothly. We store items in Lourdes through the year, as well as transporting equipment and supplies from Liverpool each year. This is co-ordinated by our Equipment lead and their team, ensuring the correct pieces of equipment go to the right place at the right time!
For information on joining us as a volunteer, please email NewMembersCoordinator@liverpool-lourdes.org.uk