Emma says: ‘I am going to keep coming to Lourdes for the next thirty years. I love the atmosphere, everybody seems so happy. I love meeting so many young people my own age who are always so willing to help. I have loved staying in the Accuiel.’ Ruth says: ‘Emma came back from Lourdes really chilled out and peaceful. She just loved everything about Lourdes and especially the music by CJM.’ During her time in Lourdes Emma received the Sacrament of Annointing from Canon Tom Farrell who said: ‘Emma is such an inspiration for so many people – she is a lovely girl who despite her disability is always happy and smiling. She is a real joy and inspiration to be around.’
Patrick McDermot, from the Abbey parish in Erdington is an amazing young man.
He has been coming to Lourdes for over ten years but joined the pilgrimage this time as part of a new group called Birmingham Catholic Young Adults (BCYA). He says ‘I have come as a youth brancardia. Having a disability doesn’t mean you can’t help and serve others. I help in the same way as any other youth helps, whether it be providing water, whether it be someone to talk to, getting someone from A to B or just making sure that they are in the Accuiel, making sure they have things they need, and just generally being around to help and be useful. For me it is important to give something back and serve in the way that I have been served by others. We are a community and I guess coming to Lourdes has helped me to recognize that that’s just what we are, a world wide community. You see so many other young people from around the diocese and it’s just great to be part of that. I am going to study Law at Manchester and want to become a barrister.
Laura Bernadette Godwin is a parishioner of St Peter’s Leamington Spa. Laura could be seen at all the services at Lourdes singing her heart out and doing Makaton (an Internationally recognized communication program) for the congregation.
Can you imagine what it would be like if you couldn’t understand speech? How would you cope? It’s a situation which is similar to the one you might experience if you were in a foreign country and couldn’t speak or understand the language. What would you do? You would probably begin to gesture to explain what you wanted, and hope that others would understand your gestures and would gesture back. You might also start to draw pictures and diagrams to help get your messages across. Makaton combines all these elements in a highly successful teaching approach.
Signs from British Sign Language, used by the deaf community in this country, were matched to the most common words we use, so that as you speak you sign and speak at the same time. Signs are often pictorial and convey the meaning more easily than words, which are more abstract.
Makaton symbols support the written word, in the same way that signs support speech. Makaton Symbols have been specially designed. Most of them are black and white pictures illustrating the important meaning of the words we use. Children and adults who cannot read or write can now have, for example, stories, instructions to carry out tasks, timetable events, shopping lists, letters and messages, all written in symbols. Furthermore for some children and adults, combining symbols, signs and speech together is proving to be an effective way of developing literacy skills. Makaton is an internationally recognised communication programme, used in more than 40 countries worldwide. Most Makaton users are children and adults who need it as their main means of communication. But everyone else who shares their lives will also use Makaton. These include the families, carers, friends and professionals such as teachers, speech and language therapists, social workers, playgroup staff, college lecturers, instructors, nurses, and psychiatrists. Makaton is rapidly spreading into the wider community, with requests for training to use signs and symbols from supermarket staff, youth groups, theatre groups, bus drivers, the police, museum staff, people working in sports and leisure, faith communities. The UK government recently legislated that public and commercial services must provide access to important information for everyone, including sign and symbol users. This can be achieved by translation into Makaton symbols and signs.
Seeing Laura use Makaton so competently and proficiently is a sight to behold as she leads everybody to sing and sign along with her. She says: ‘I use Makaton to speak to Roy my boyfriend. I love dancing and moving along to the music with its rhythm and beat. I love coming to Lourdes too. My second name is Bernadette and she means a lot to me. I am very proud to be a member of the TOBY group (To Old to Be Young) which comes to Lourdes each year.’
We Just Keep Coming Back!
Lourdes has a way of willing you back year after year. So many people testify to the wonderful atmosphere and community that is Lourdes. Seven of our Archdiocesan pilgrims pictured here have notched up 370 years between them!
Front Row: Mrs Marie Flanagan started going to Lourdes in 1948, 61 years. Back Row: Fr Sandy Brown started going in 1961, 48yrs Mr Tony Flanagan started 1955, 54 years. Fr Philip Newbold started 1961, 48 years. Mr Bill Sheldon started 1958, 51 years. Mr Leo Hurst started 1961, 48 years. Mr John Barron started 1949, 60 years.
