HCPT or Hosanna House and Children's Pilgrimage Trust is a United Kingdom based

charity Charity may refer to: Giving * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing * C ...

which travels with disabled and disadvantaged children and adults on

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

to the

Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes () is a Catholic Marian shrine and pilgrimage site dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes in the town of Lourdes, Hautes-Pyrénées, France. The sanctuary includes several religious buildings and monuments around ...

, in

Lourdes Lourdes (, also , ; oc, Lorda ) is a market town situated in the Pyrenees. It is part of the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. Prior to the mid-19th century, the town was best known for the Châ ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. HCPT stands for Hosanna House and Children's Pilgrimage Trust, Hosanna House being the property the organisation owns in the hills above Lourdes. It was founded in 1956 by Michael Strode.

History

HCPT is a charity which was formed in 1956 when Dr. Michael Strode first took four children with disabilities on a pilgrimage holiday to Lourdes, establishing a new approach to pilgrimage for children with disabilities. From HCPT grew the Hosanna House Trust, which was the response to a request from young adults for an opportunity to experience a similar holiday to that of the children. Today, Hosanna House, the Trust's residential centre just outside Lourdes in

Bartrès Bartrès (; oc, Bartrés) is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in southwestern France. The village is famous for its association with St. Bernadette Soubirous. St. Bernadette was sent there in her infancy to a wet nurse, and again i ...

, takes nearly 2,000 pilgrims in groups of 40 to 50, many of whom have disabilities or special needs. These guests stay for a week between Easter and November. In 1996, HCPT celebrated the 40th Anniversary of the Pilgrimage Trust. Here, the whole Pilgrimage, of around 5000 people, congregate in St Bernadette's Basilica for the Trust Mass, the culmination of which is the singing of the song 'Rise and Shine', the unofficial HCPT Anthem. In 1998 HCPT and the Hosanna House Trust were combined as "HCPT - The Pilgrimage Trust".

Pilgrimages today

HCPT takes around 1,000 children from the UK on its annual Easter pilgrimage - with groups from Ireland, Belgium, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, USA and West Indies joining it too. The total size of the Easter Pilgrimage is around 5000, which includes all helpers, nurses, doctors and chaplains. A further 1,500 people stay at Hosanna House each year, in groups of up to 50. These groups welcome people of all ages. HCPT also owns a villa in Bartrès, near Hosanna House. This is a self-catering house for up to 15 people which is accessible and available to all throughout the year.

Activities

HCPT's pilgrimages are centred on the international Shrine of

Our Lady of Lourdes Our Lady of Lourdes (french: Notre-Dame de Lourdes) is a title of the Virgin Mary. She is venerated under this title by the Roman Catholic church due to her apparitions that occurred in Lourdes, France. The first apparition of 11 February 1858, ...

and gives people of all ages and abilities the opportunity to experience a thoroughly enjoyable group holiday. All are welcome to join the pilgrimage whatever their faith is, or if they have none.

Fundraising

HCPT relies entirely on donations from the public and fundraising by its 250+ groups throughout the UK. In 1999,

Donnie Munro Donnie Munro (Scottish Gaelic: Donaidh Rothach /dɔnɪ rɔhəx/) (born 2 August 1953) is a Scottish musician, and former lead singer of the band Runrig. A native speaker of Scots Gaelic, much of his work is in that language. Early life Munro ...

, former lead singer of the band

Runrig Runrig were a Scottish Celtic rock band formed on the Isle of Skye in 1973. From its inception, the band's line-up included songwriters Rory Macdonald and Calum Macdonald. The line-up during most of the 1980s and 1990s (the band's most succe ...

, released a record in aid of HCPT which received the support of

Frances Shand Kydd Frances Ruth Shand Kydd (previously Spencer, ''née'' Roche; 20 January 1936 – 3 June 2004) was the mother of Diana, Princess of Wales. She was the maternal grandmother of William, Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, respectivel ...

, the mother of Diana, Princess of Wales.

References

External links

HCPT's website

Irish Pilgrimage Trust's website

DUH's website
{{DEFAULTSORT:HCPT (Hosanna House and Children's Pilgrimage Trust) Children's charities based in the United Kingdom Health charities in the United Kingdom Catholic Church in England and Wales Christian pilgrimages Charities based in Warwickshire