Lourdes Service Immersion
Our Lady of Lourdes Hospitality
Lourdes, France became famous in the 1850s after 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous witnessed apparitions of the Virgin Mary. The vision instructed her to build a sanctuary and spread the word of the healing powers of the spring waters. Since then, as many as five million people pilgrimage to Lourdes every year to bathe in the spring waters.
This service immersion provides a sophomore, junior or senior nursing student with the opportunity to serve the sick from around the world who come to Lourdes to participate in the religious ritual of bathing in the healing waters of Lourdes. The focus of this service immersion is spiritual care.
The fee that is paid by the student partially covers food, lodging, and travel. The remainder of the cost of the trip is paid by donations and contributions from the President's Office and Campus Ministry, Loyola University Chicago.
Projected Dates for 2023: May 18 to May 28, 2023
Information Session: The information for the May 2023 Lourdes Service Immersion is scheduled for Monday, September 19, 2022 at 4:00PM. The location of the meeting will be announced in early September. If you have any questions please contact psolari@luc.edu.
Trip Leaders
Faculty Contact: Dr Ann Solari-Twadell, Associate Professor is the contact in the School of Nursing regarding this service immersion; psolari@luc.edu.
Campus Ministry Contact: Dr. Lisa Reiter, Director, Campus Ministry; lreiter1@luc.edu.
Chaplain: Fr. Scott Hendrickson, SJ
Trip Logistics
Travel: All participants travel as a group. Airline arrangements are made by The School of Nursing.
Passport: All participants will need a passport that is valid at least six months beyond, May 2023.
Lodging: Hotel Moderne, Lourdes, Frances
Food: Three meals a day are included with Lodging.
Length of time for trip: 11 days. Projected dates: May 18 to May 28, 2023.
A typical schedule follows:
Depart Thursday
Arrive Friday and get acclimated
Saturday- Tour of the Sanctuary, Lourdes, France
Sunday- Check in for service. Provide service for 6 days
Saturday- Bus trip to Loyola Spain
Sunday- Leave for home
This experience is a balance between service (baths, trains, processions, formation (Educational Sessions regarding serving in Lourdes), faith-sharing, small group reflection and prayer/spiritual practices (Mass, Adoration, Confession, Rosary, Candlelight Procession, and Eucharistic processions) and development of community among participants.
There will be four meetings with the whole group who will be going on the service immersion. The first will be held before the end of the Fall Semester, 2022 with the remainder during the spring semester prior to the departure date. The meeting dates and times will be established once all the participants have been selected.
Application and Selection Process
There is an application process and interview required for those interested in making the pilgrimage.
Application
Any student wishing to participate in the service immersion and is experiencing financial hardship should indicate such in the application.
Applications are due:
Friday, October 14, 2022
Deliver applications to:
Dr. Solari-Twadell
School of Nursing
BVM Building, Room 917, Lake Shore
Interviews
The anticipated interview dates for those students who have applied for the service immersion will be between Friday, October 28th and November 11th, 2022.
Selection
The final selection of participants for the Lourdes trip will be made by end of November. Those students selected for participation will be notified by email.
For those students that are accepted for participation on this trip to Lourdes, an initial deposit of $500 will be required as confirmation of participation by Friday, December 2, 2022. The payments will be submitted to Mary Kilroy on the eighth floor BVM Hall, Lake Shore Campus.
If you have any questions regarding this service opportunity you may contact Dr. Solari-Twadell at psolari@luc.edu. If interested, you are urged to act promptly as there will only be a small group of 10 nursing students chosen to be included in this service immersion trip. Thank you for your attention to this information.
Cost and Payment Schedule
Cost to Student: $1500.00
There is a generous donor, The Dewan Foundation, that has provided for the total cost of one student who would not otherwise be able to participate in the Lourdes Service Immersion due to financial need. Please note in the application if you are applying for that scholarship.
Payment Schedule
The student payments are due in four installments:
| Friday, December 2, 2022 | $500.00 non-refundable deposit |
| Friday, February 3, 2022 | $500 second payment |
| Friday, March 3, 2020 | $500 third payment |
The payments will be submitted to Mary Kilroy on the eighth floor BVM Hall, Lake Shore Campus.
Preparation Meetings
There will be four meetings with the whole group who will be going on the service immersion. The first will be held on Friday, December 6, 2019. The remainder of the meetings will be on Friday mornings at 7:00 AM on February 21st, March 29thand April 11th, 2020.
Our Lady of Lourdes Hospitality
Lourdes, France became famous in the 1850s after 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous witnessed apparitions of the Virgin Mary. The vision instructed her to build a sanctuary and spread the word of the healing powers of the spring waters. Since then, as many as five million people pilgrimage to Lourdes every year to bathe in the spring waters.
This service immersion provides a sophomore, junior or senior nursing student with the opportunity to serve the sick from around the world who come to Lourdes to participate in the religious ritual of bathing in the healing waters of Lourdes. The focus of this service immersion is spiritual care.
The fee that is paid by the student partially covers food, lodging, and travel. The remainder of the cost of the trip is paid by donations and contributions from the President's Office and Campus Ministry, Loyola University Chicago.
Projected Dates for 2023: May 18 to May 28, 2023
Information Session: The information for the May 2023 Lourdes Service Immersion is scheduled for Monday, September 19, 2022 at 4:00PM. The location of the meeting will be announced in early September. If you have any questions please contact psolari@luc.edu.
Trip Leaders
Faculty Contact: Dr Ann Solari-Twadell, Associate Professor is the contact in the School of Nursing regarding this service immersion; psolari@luc.edu.
Campus Ministry Contact: Dr. Lisa Reiter, Director, Campus Ministry; lreiter1@luc.edu.
Chaplain: Fr. Scott Hendrickson, SJ
Trip Logistics
Travel: All participants travel as a group. Airline arrangements are made by The School of Nursing.
Passport: All participants will need a passport that is valid at least six months beyond, May 2023.
Lodging: Hotel Moderne, Lourdes, Frances
Food: Three meals a day are included with Lodging.
Length of time for trip: 11 days. Projected dates: May 18 to May 28, 2023.
A typical schedule follows:
Depart Thursday
Arrive Friday and get acclimated
Saturday- Tour of the Sanctuary, Lourdes, France
Sunday- Check in for service. Provide service for 6 days
Saturday- Bus trip to Loyola Spain
Sunday- Leave for home
This experience is a balance between service (baths, trains, processions, formation (Educational Sessions regarding serving in Lourdes), faith-sharing, small group reflection and prayer/spiritual practices (Mass, Adoration, Confession, Rosary, Candlelight Procession, and Eucharistic processions) and development of community among participants.
There will be four meetings with the whole group who will be going on the service immersion. The first will be held before the end of the Fall Semester, 2022 with the remainder during the spring semester prior to the departure date. The meeting dates and times will be established once all the participants have been selected.
Application and Selection Process
There is an application process and interview required for those interested in making the pilgrimage.
Application
Any student wishing to participate in the service immersion and is experiencing financial hardship should indicate such in the application.
Applications are due:
Friday, October 14, 2022
Deliver applications to:
Dr. Solari-Twadell
School of Nursing
BVM Building, Room 917, Lake Shore
Interviews
The anticipated interview dates for those students who have applied for the service immersion will be between Friday, October 28th and November 11th, 2022.
Selection
The final selection of participants for the Lourdes trip will be made by end of November. Those students selected for participation will be notified by email.
For those students that are accepted for participation on this trip to Lourdes, an initial deposit of $500 will be required as confirmation of participation by Friday, December 2, 2022. The payments will be submitted to Mary Kilroy on the eighth floor BVM Hall, Lake Shore Campus.
If you have any questions regarding this service opportunity you may contact Dr. Solari-Twadell at psolari@luc.edu. If interested, you are urged to act promptly as there will only be a small group of 10 nursing students chosen to be included in this service immersion trip. Thank you for your attention to this information.
Cost and Payment Schedule
Cost to Student: $1500.00
There is a generous donor, The Dewan Foundation, that has provided for the total cost of one student who would not otherwise be able to participate in the Lourdes Service Immersion due to financial need. Please note in the application if you are applying for that scholarship.
Payment Schedule
The student payments are due in four installments:
| Friday, December 2, 2022 | $500.00 non-refundable deposit |
| Friday, February 3, 2022 | $500 second payment |
| Friday, March 3, 2020 | $500 third payment |
The payments will be submitted to Mary Kilroy on the eighth floor BVM Hall, Lake Shore Campus.
Preparation Meetings
There will be four meetings with the whole group who will be going on the service immersion. The first will be held on Friday, December 6, 2019. The remainder of the meetings will be on Friday mornings at 7:00 AM on February 21st, March 29thand April 11th, 2020.