Wednesday marked the final full day of the 2026 pilgrimage, bringing to a close a week filled with faith, friendship and joyful moments shared together in Lourdes.

The day began with young people from all seven coaches gathering for the final Youth Mass at St Bernadette’s Church. As part of the celebration, young people from Coach 6 brought the Gospel to life through a lively drama performance, complete with water guns, which was enjoyed by all.

In the afternoon, the entire pilgrimage came together for the Mass of Thanksgiving, celebrated by Archbishop John Sherrington. The Mass provided an opportunity to give thanks for the many blessings, experiences and friendships that have shaped this year's pilgrimage.

In his homily, Archbishop John said: “The assisted pilgrims are at the heart of our lives and the values of love, generosity, service and building community are foundations on which we build. We know prayer, fun, laughter, the kindness of a smile, and a strong sense of the family of the Archdiocese. We see the life of Jesus, his mother Mary and St. Bernadette at the heart of our days.”

The day concluded with a special Youth Celebration, where more than 350 young people from across the Archdiocese gathered to celebrate 50 years of the pilgrimage. The evening was filled with singing, dancing, performances and plenty of laughter as young pilgrims came together to mark this significant milestone.

As our time in Lourdes draws to a close, we extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has helped make this pilgrimage such a special and memorable experience.

We wish all pilgrims a safe journey home and look forward to carrying the spirit of Lourdes with us in the months ahead.

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