HCPT - The Pilgrimage Trust :: 50 years of HCPT

50 years of HCPT

1956		Michael Strode, Peter Keevney, and Fr Michael Byrne took eight children from Chailey Heritage school to Lourdes with the National Schools Pilgrimage. On the train home, Bishop Bright suggested that they increase their remit to bring children from more schools. The 'Handicapped Chilrdren's Pilgrimage Trust' was thus established in 1956 to raise funds to enable children to travel to Lourdes.

1957		43 children and 28 helpers travelled at Easter with the 1957 National Schools Pilgrimage

1960		81 children and 62 helpers made up the 'special schools group' of the National Schools Pilgrimage

1963		168 children and 173 helpers. Michael Strode noted "both administratively and economically I think we are moving towards the summit"

1964		240 children, 263 helpers. Bishop bright died Donna Smith asked her Group Chaplain to organise a retreat, at St Elizabeth's Convent in Much Haddam.

1965		The first HCPT flights were organised from Gatwick, and the first Scottish Groups joined in. Peter Keevney, co-founder and Trustee died.

1966		First international connections started. The American National Pilgrimage and the Irish Youth Pilgrimage.

1967		First South West Group started.

1970		Michael Strode wrote: "the expanding nature of our work presents a real problem to any organisation which is essentially part time and voluntary. It has become clear that a system of centralised planning has a saturation point. Beyond this point further expansion would be conditional on regionalisation getting under way". Direct flights from Manchester and Edinburgh were started. Those involved in the retreats in Much Haddam suggested a permanent home in Lourdes

1971		IHCPT (Irish Handicapped Children's Pilgrimage Trust) was established. Scotland Region was established, first Welsh Groups established

1972		The 'Hosanna House Trust' was established to raise funds and find a suitable location in or near Lourdes. Dick Glitheroe left the HCPT and established the Across Trust. First IHCPT Pilgrimage to Lourdes with HCPT at Easter.

1973		Pat Porter started at HQ as National Secretary, and the HQ staff moved into a house adjoinng Fr Michael Byrne's presbytery in Sutton. First Yorkshire Group was established.

1974		Oil crisis led to cancellation of most flights and the pilgrimage reverted to train travel. The trustees of the Hosanna House Trust sought a suitable property near Lourdes, and had planned to purchase a site called l'Astazou owned by descendants of the Soubirous family. Negotiations collapsed and a replacement was found - a hotel in Barters called 'Domain Regina' As Michael Strode wrote: "it is difficult to resist the idea that Our Lady was quietly at work with Her own solution to our problems. Did she not prepare St Bernadette for her work in the silence and solitude of Bartres, and can it be purely chance that a property so well sited for our purpose should bear the name 'The Domaine Regina'?" Legalities were completed in August 1974, and the first party, including Donna Smith, arrived in September. Michael Strode was introduced to Mother Mary Francis, then superior of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary of the Angels. She had four sisters all trained in hotel management and care of disabled people. Thus in 1975 Sister Elizabeth, Sister Marc and Sister Colette arrived to work at Hosanna House. Sister Marc dies in 1993, both Sisters Elizabeth and Colette are still at Hosanna House in retirement.

1975		Manchester Region established.

1977		Merseyside Region established.

1979		The trust had continued to grow through the 1970s and in 1979 moved into new premises in Westmead Road, Sutton.

1980		Met East Region established.

1981		The Silver Jubilee year. The Cardinal celebrated mass at Westminster Cathedral, over 1500 children came to Lourdes at Easter. Hosanna House was fully booked and thought began of expanding the house. Yorkshire Region established.

1982		The field adjacent to Hosanna House was purchased, plans were drawn up to raise money and build a new chapel, extended accommodation for the nuns, and ultimately build a new house.

1985		The Hosanna House chapel was officially opened on April10th, by Bishop Donze of Lourdes, who had opened Hosanna House ten years previously. Easter had over 4,460 people of whom 2,000 were children, including the first Group from the West Indies!

1986		First Welsh flight, from Cardiff. Met Deep South Region established.

1988?		HQ moved into new office accommodation in Banstead, Surrey

1989		The Ste Bernadette wing of Hosanna House was opened by Cardinal Basil Hume, who was also the main celebrant of the Trust Mass that year.

1990		In an experiment to limit the numbers attending at Easter, the 'Whitsun week' pilgrimage was started. Also in this year, Pat Porter retired and was replaced by Tony Mills at HQ, and Sr Elizabeth retired at Hosanna House, replaced by Mike Campbell.

1994		Pat Porter, past National Secretary of HCPT died

1996		Forty years of HCPT! The BBC sent an outside broadcast team to Lourdes to film the HCPT Trust Mass for Songs of Praise. The film is still available on DVD and video at the HCPT shop. To date __ copies have been sold!

1998		"The Handicapped Children's Pilgrimage Trust and Hosanna House Trust" was re-launched at an event at St James' Palace and re-named "HCPT - the Pilgrimage Trust"

2000		The original wing of Hosanna House (the 'Notre Dame' wing) was extended and refurbished. The re-dedication and opening ceremony was attended by Michael Strode and Bishop Jaques Perrier of Lourdes.

2002		HQ moved again, this time much further afield, to offices in Rugby.

		*Taken from "Living Faith" by Peter Strode*