Our Lady of Lourdes Hednesford

From the inspiration of creating a replica at Hednesford in Staffordshire of the shrine at Lourdes, envisaged by Father Boyle on a visit in 1913 where he promised to build a church in honour of Our Lady, to its physical manifestation, completed in 1933 by Father Healy, both priests laboured tirelessly to achieve that goal.

From nothing more than a wooden hut, which served as the initial parish church, Father Boyle began the momentous task of fund raising. Letters were dispatched all over the world pleading for donations and such was the response that by 1919 he was able to purchase the land on which the church now stands. With even more generous donations Father Healy saw the grounds prepared by the summer of 1923, the first grass removed by Bishop Barratt in 1927, the foundation stone laid on September 12th, 1928 and watched with eager anticipation as the building grew. (So eager was he for the project to end that he took a personal hand in its completion, often, much to the shock of the labourers and architects, seen mounting the scaffolding to guide the craftsmen as they built.) By 1933 the church was complete and officially opened by Archbishop Williams leading the ceremonies on June 6th, 1934. The grotto was still undergoing excavation, but finally the cave made from pre-cast concrete and the altar were ready in 1935 with all the forecourts.

That ambition was partially achieved in August, 1948 when the Polish people held their first rally at Our Lady of Lourdes. During World War Two many Polish people fled their country and settled in England, with a considerable contingent arriving in Hednesford to work in the Cannock Chase Coalfield. By way of a service of thanksgiving for their salvation from the disaster Father Mieczyslaw Bossowski organised the event and today it is still one of the main pilgrimages to the church. (Incidentally Father Bossowski so loved the rally and the church surroundings that he made it known that he wished to be buried in the cemetery. That wish was honoured when he died in 1978.)
With the success of the Polish rally others were sure to follow and in 1958 the Wolverhampton Section of the Mothers Union began their association with the church, holding their annual pilgrimage in the September. Finally in July 1968 the ultimate dream of the parish and its founder began - the church held its first Diocesan Pilgrimage for the Sick.

But why was the small mining village of Hednesford chosen for such honours? Perhaps it can only be summed up in the words of Canon Yeo, who at the church`s inauguration said, “Why Hednesford, you ask me? Why Nazareth? Why Calvary? And why Bethlehem? It is the choice of God.”

And so the parish looks forward each year to the Diocesan Pilgrimage on the first Sunday of July. The afternoon begins at 3.30pm with the Divine Mercy Chaplet prayers. That is followed by Holy Mass at 4.00 pm, the Blessing of the Sick with the Blessed Sacrament, finishing with a Blessed Sacrament Procession and Benediction at the grotto. If all goes to plan and the weather is fine, which thankfully has happened on most occasions, the whole service takes place outside on the church square with the first part of the service before the grotto and the final procession around the grounds. Should the weather not grace the day then there is adequate space within the church for the service.

For those who have not managed to visit the church on previous occasions there is ample car parking at the church and coach parties will find adequate parking nearby, after their passengers have been set down at the church gates. Refreshments will be served all afternoon at the church hall, though some may prefer to bring their own food and picnic on the many lawns.
Unfortunately over the years the numbers attending have dropped from their thousands to mere hundreds, a sign of the times perhaps, but Our Lady of Lourdes still looks forward to welcoming its guests and praying for those less fortunate than ourselves. We hope that you can join us.

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