Waterford Pilgrimage
Our Voluntary Staff
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Lourdes
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We are always looking for new staff especially anyone young which we categorise as being anyone fit and healthy under the age of 55 or thereabouts.
We have several different types of Staff e.g. Doctors, Nurses, Handmaids, Brancardiers ( male staff), Priests, Choir, Cara ( visitation group) and we also bring about 40 transition year students as part of our Youth Group.
They cater for the medical needs of our sick people while in Lourdes. They also ensure that records of the medical history and medication of our sick are to hand while in Lourdes. Their duties would be very similar to those of a Doctor or Nurse in a Hospital environment.
If you would like to offer your services as a Doctor.
Contact Dr. Liam MacCann, Chief Medical Officer. 051 383521 (H)
If you would like to offer your services as a Nurse.
Nurses : Contact Betty Fitzgerald, Matron. 051 872578 (H)
Their duties while in Lourdes include general help with our sick together with cleaning of accommodation areas, setting of meal tables, serving of food, transporting of sick to ceremonies and visit to town. Also preparation and serving of Tea to sick, staff and any pilgrims visiting our sick in the Accueil. The food for lunch and dinner is provided by an outside caterer but we ourselves bring many supplies to supplement these and for breakfasts and tea breaks.
Contact : Mrs Sadie Rogers, Chief Handmaid. 051 381020(H), 087 6817191
The word Brancardier is derived from the French word for stretcher bearer though this is rarely required anymore by Irish Pilgrimages.
Their duties are somewhat similar to those of the Handmaid with more emphasis on the transporting of the sick and their luggage together with loading and unloading the planes at Cork Airport. Any lifting required is left to the younger more agile Brancardier.
They would be expected to assist in bringing our sick up the town for any gifts or souvenirs they might require.
Brancardiers are also responsible for arranging personnel for the various ceremonies while in Lourdes.
Contact : Pat Kelly, Chief Brancardier 051 832798(H), 086 3195007
They look after the spiritual needs of not only our sick but also our many hundred pilgrims who stay in the hotels.
Contact : Rev. Fr. Conor Kelly. Pilgrimage Director. 051 852069, 087 8231807
The choir not only minister at our own ceremonies but also at the daily Blessed Sacrament Procession and Torchlight Procession and also at the International Mass on Wednesdays and Sundays. All pilgrimages are expected to assist in the singing and in some of the liturgy in their own language at these international ceremonies.
Contact : Ms. Mary Dee, Choir Director, 024 96151
This is our visitation group who tend, on a more personal level, to the needs of our sick. Each member is designated a small group of sick people and it is their function to ensure that sick persons want for nothing while in Lourdes. Part of their expected duties would be to sit and spend time with the sick which, due to other pressures, other staff members do not have sufficient time to do. They also keep their designated sick fully informed of what is and will be happening in Lourdes.
This staff category is ideal for any staff member who is not as active as they once were and by doing this they can feel they are contributing to the pilgrimage in a very meaningful way.
Contact : Gerry Halley, 051 874073(H), 087 2581219
The majority of this group are sent in ones and twos from the schools in the diocese. We also recruit a few who would possibly be related to staff members. Generally this group numbers about 40 youth with 4/5 adult youth leaders. They carry out similar duties to the handmaids and Brancardier and they are a vital part of our annual Pilgrimage. Generally this group are based in a separate hotel in Lourdes than the rest of the staff and we feel this gives them an opportunity to bond and express themselves. Although the work can be hard and the hours very long, they all seem to find the experience most fulfilling.
Contact : David McCarthy, 086 8456268