Each morning we got up around 6 ( depending on what your group was doing that morning) after spending the night in some never ending 'disco' that we weren't allowed leave and walked like zombies down to the sanctuary where the invalides were staying, but somehow when we saw the smiling faces of the people waiting for us to bring them to mass in their voitures everybody seemed to forget how tired they were and all they wanted to do was help, how tired you were didn't really seem to matter. Nobody minded because to see how thankful these people were when you told them that "yes of course I'll bring you up around the town do some shopping" when you've already brought three people in wheelchairs up the steep hill and into shops that you've already been in 100 times in roasting hot conditions when it's your free time and you could be sleeping in your hotel room was such a lovely thing to see. It was also amazing to to see how brilliant they all found the baths when we all thought it was the weirdest thing we've ever done and I'm not too keen to stand in front of 3 elderly women wearing only an extremely cold, wet sheet as they lead me down steps into a freezing cold bath and tell me to say my intentions to Mary as I stand there awkwardly and extremely confused not knowing what to do.
To see the faith that these people have, to take part in the torchlight procession and to see thousands of people walking together saying prayers, singing hymns and raising their candles up to Mary as the evening grew dark was the most amazing, fascinating and beautiful things I've ever seen.
R.O.S