Mr Paddy Dowling

The Catholic Association (“CA”) is a UK-based charity that has been running pilgrimages to Lourdes, France for over a hundred years. The CA is comprised of the diocesan pilgrimages of Clifton, East Anglia, Northampton, & Southwark, as well as the Stonyhurst, Glanfield Children’s Group and CA Annual Group. Our vast community of volunteers is made up of a diverse range of age groups and backgrounds, all of whom share a commitment to returning to service in Lourdes every year.

Lourdes is a town in the French region of Bigorre, in the foothills of the Pyrenees, where in 1858 the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, appeared eighteen times to a simple teenage girl, Bernadette Soubirous, in order to draw people into a deeper relationship with her son Jesus. Nearly 150 years later, the Lourdes shrine attracts over six million visitors a year, which includes our pilgrimage of approximately a thousand people. We spend a week in Lourdes every August. Whether we are assisted pilgrims or helpers, young or old, clergy or laity, we are all in need of spiritual renewal, and our journey to Lourdes helps our pilgrims to refocus in their life’s journey to God.

As President of the Catholic Association, I am immensely proud of our work and encourage all newcomers interested in joining us, whether as individuals or groups, to reach out to a member of our team. We hope that the information we have compiled in this website, including the various resources, is helpful to you.