In 1858 Our Lady appeared to Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes and so we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the apparition. To celebrate this event locally, a group of people from Limerick and surround have come together to organise a charity cycle from Nantes to Lourdes this June to coincide with the Limerick Doiocesan pilgrimage. The 800km cycle will take place from the 14th to 20th June. The moneys collected will go towards the Limerick Diocesan Invalid Fund a very worthy cause.

That was our opening paragraph from our Committee introduction back in 2008 – This was when 12 cyclists and 5 backup team took on the Nantes to Lourdes cycle , survived it and raised some much needed funds for the Limerick Lourdes Invalid Fund.

So now again this year 2011 , some of the original team and some new members will embark once again on this cycle , covering 800km over 5 days in June 2011

The youngest cyclist being 19 and the most senior being 67 years of age We also have our first Lady Cyclists taking part this year and we welcome her to the cycle

No one thought that this cycle would entail 800km of road, a large amount of logistical organisation , medical teams and a lot of goodwill and sponsorship. In fact this is what has happened, from a very ordinary conversation about doing a cycle has come a very extra ordinary group of people and support by even greater people to make this cycle happen.

All of our team are in active training in order to complete this cycle and arrive in Lourdes (safe and sound) on June 18th 2011 Our thanks go out to our Main Sponsor - , Spec Savers Limerick

Our thanks also go out especially to our families and friends who questioned and supported (eventually) this idea -" yes we all still think we are youg fellas of 16 ". To the people who have turned up and contributed on every fund raiser either by their monetary contributions, their time or their support we Thank You so much..... To the Back up team , Logistics and Medical teams who are giving of their time and energy in supporting the young and not so young cyclists....Thank You

And finally to the three charities A big thank you for giving us the privilege of supporting you

You will all be remembered in our prayers when we get to the Grotto in Lourdes this year,

Fr.Tony Mullins  Limerick Diocesan Administrator introduces the Lourdes Cycle 2011

In 1858 a little girl called Bernadette Soubirous received two instructions from Our Lady in the grotto at Massabielle in Lourdes: “You will tell the priests to have chapel built here” and “I wish people to come here in procession.” Bernadette could never have imagined how those requests would be fulfilled in the intervening 150 years. The area around the grotto contains the great Rosary Basilica and the massive underground church of St Pius X, as well as many other churches and chapels. Each year the numbers joining in the two daily processions and the other ceremonies are counted in millions.

But even more remarkable than the scale of the pilgrimages is how they express of the most essential characteristics of the community of Christ’s followers. The life of the first Christians is described in the Acts of the Apostles. It was a community in which nobody was neglected and the weak were cared for, a community that joined in prayer and praise of God, a community that reflected constantly on the Good News.

In our busy world we are tempted to think that such a community is no longer possible. But in Lourdes that is what we see: prayer, reflection and exhausting but joyful service of those who need our friendship and our help. The invalids are the centre of our pilgrimage and the most important reason for it. The Lourdes Cycle is a very admirable contribution to ensuring that the Limerick Diocesan Pilgrimage can continue to do that effectively. I warmly recommend this initiative.



Lourdes Cycle

2008 marked the 150th anniversary of the Lourdes apparitions and was a cause for major celebrations in the Southern French town.. To mark that event and to raise awareness of the Limerick Diocese Pilgrimage, 14 cyclist participated in a Charity cycle from Nantes to Lourdes raising funds for the Limerick Lourdes Invalid Fund.

Again this year 2011 a group of 12 cyclist and 4 of a back up team ranging in size , age and fitness will take on this cycle .but this year raising funds for three charities.

The 800km cycle, over 5 days will take place in June 2008. Our route is from Nantes to Lourdes. We will be accompanied by a back up team of 4 which will include a physiotherapist and support drivers.

    The three charities being supported are:
  • The Limerick Lourdes Invalid Fund
  • Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association
  • The Cliona Ring foundation

Information on all of these can be found in the CHARITIES link on our home page

We will be accompanied by a backup team of 4 which will include a physiotherapist and support drivers. As you will appreciate the expenses associated in organising and running such an event are substantial when you consider ferry costs, accommodation and associated costs relating to the backup team.

To help defray some of the expense involved we are actively looking for people to sponsor us.

The costs associated with this charity cycle will be between €10,000 and €15,000 and we hope to raise in the region of €10,000 for each of the three charities.

To participate on the cycle each team member must raise a minimum of €1,500.

Over the coming months we will be organising a number of fund raising events to raise the necessary finances. Any support you can give would be very much appreciated.



Lourdes CycleThe Limerick Pilgraimage to Lourdes has been in existence since pre World War II

At this time it was the Parish of St.Marys who led and organised the pilgrimage. St.Marys Parish was also known as Mary of the Assumpta, and this name has carried through to present day Limerick Diocesan Pilgrimage - "Maria Assumpta" Pilgrimage.

Post World War II the pilgrimage travelled to Lourdes every 3 years , when Limerick became a diocese the Pilgrimage became an annual event The Pilgrimage takes place between the 21st and 26th June . A number of people have been involved in the promotion and direction of the Pilgrimage( under the patronage of the Bishop of Limerick ) these would include Bishop Eamon Casey , Fr.Garry Bleuth ,Monsignor Liam Boyle , Fr. Joe Noonan and present day Pilgrimage Director Fr.Donal McNamara.

United Irish Lourdes Pilgrims, this was founded by the Irish Bishops to help keep down the costs. It means that all carriers (planes) chartered by UIPL are back to back, in other words they are full on both outward and inward journeys. Additional seats that are required by Pilgrimages are then acquired from their travel agent.

The pilgrimage continues to grow from strength to strength every year. 2007 Pilgrimage saw up to seven hundred pilgrims including 100 youth, 100 invalids, 150 helpers and between twenty and 25 priests, always led by the Bishop of Limerick

The Committee and Team members would like to take this opportunity to Thank everyone who has contributed in order to make this cycle a success
as we look forward to completing the cycle

 
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