Working at the St Frai

Anna Whitehead, a Cambridge undergraduate, writes about her experience working at the St Frai in 2019

Last summer was my first trip to Lourdes and the time I spent volunteering at the St Frai formed the basis of many of the wonderful memories and friendships I took away from the pilgrimage. The St Frai is probably best described as a cross between a care home, a hospital and a hotel, and is run by a team of endearing (but occasionally quite demanding!) French sisters. The work is varied and depends on the pilgrimages taking place that week, but you can usually expect to spend a fair amount of time in the kitchen during mealtimes; setting the tables, drying crockery and making sure everything runs smoothly. Every morning there are also cleaning jobs to be undertaken, such as changing bed linen or wiping down surfaces.

There is not much direct contact with the pilgrims in this role, so if you’re really looking for that aspect from the trip it’s probably best to head to the Piscines. Having said that, although the tasks might initially feel repetitive, you soon realise what an indispensable part the HNDL volunteers play in the smooth running of pilgrimages to Lourdes. I found that there was also quite a bit of free time during the day, which meant that nothing felt too strenuous or overwhelming, and there were plenty of opportunities to spend time with the other volunteers.

I would say that working in the St Frai requires a certain willingness to do whatever may be asked of you – I found myself disinfecting seemingly endless stacks of chairs on the hottest day of the week last year! There is however a great sense of camaraderie and there is something incredibly unique to be found amidst all the mundane tasks. Only in Lourdes will you find people from all over the world and from all walks of life coming together to give their time to love their neighbour in this very special way.