Laois town launches fundraiser to bring sick locals to Lourdes

The Lourdes Portarlington Pilgrimage Group have launched a GoFundMe to pay for local sick people to visit Lourdes, having struggled to source funding through collections.

The group have said that fundraising has become difficult with many people no longer carrying cash.

"The trip will take place next year, and we are finding it very hard to send our sick," said Marie Corcoran, committee member of the Lourdes Portarlington Pilgrimage Group.

"It costs so much now, and trying to raise the money is very difficult."

Ms Corcoran works in Saoirse Care Charity shop, where people can drop in deposits for the pilgrimage. 

"Our whole idea is to bring our sick out to Lourdes, and they are well looked after. We bring a doctor, a nurse and our spiritual director," Ms Corcoran explained.

"It’s a holiday for them as well as a pilgrimage, we all have great fun. We go on different little trips outside of Lourdes too. It’s wonderful for people who have gone through treatment, and suffered. It’s lovely to bring them off," she said.

"People can drop in deposits to me in Saoirse Care charity shop, or even drop in donations to help bring our sick people to Lourdes," she said.

"The GoFundMe is there to bring our sick, we brought around 7 or 8 last year. We look to our medical people to advise us, we don’t just pick people willy-nilly. People who are well enough to travel and are deserving of it, we love to bring them," Ms Corcoran finished.

Since the 1960’s, there have been several committees in Portarlington overseeing pilgrimages from the town to Lourdes. A pilgrimage from the town has been a tradition for many years.

On their GoFundMe page, the Lourdes Portarlington Pilgrimage Group posted a donation appeal.