TN London late on Tuesday morning, in Lourdes about two hours after mid-day—having flown from London Airport—Cardinal Griffin was preaching at the Grotto on Wednesday morning to some 600 people from many parts of England and Wales who had joined the National Pilgrimage organised by the Society of Our Lady of Lourdes.
With His Eminence are Bishop Beck of Salford and Bishop Petit of Menevia. Next week three more Bishops will he leading diocesan pilgrimages— Bishop Wall from Brentwood, Bishop Brunner from Middlesbrough and Bishop Heenan from Leeds.
At the Grotto the Cardinal urged the pilgrims to pray especially " that the chains of persecution may he lifted from the Church of Si knee."
The prayers for Russia each day after Mass have been said so many years, said His Eminence. " that we may he confident that through Our Lady's intercession, and in God's good time, she will crush the head of the serpent."
We may also be confident. the Cardinal declared, " that in these lands in which today the cult of personality is being destroyed we shall see once more the cult of our Mother and the worship of Him Whom she holds in her arms."
The Cardinal also asked for special prayers for the Holy' Father whose " whole Pontificate has been clouded by wars and rumours of war.
" Yet his name is suggestive of peace. As Pope his every endeavour is directed to that end, and we pray that the efforts of the Supreme Pontiff may he rewarded with international peace based upon justice and the love of his Divine Master."
The ambulances got through
Fifty ambulances hearing sick pilgrims began arriving at Victoria Station just as the electrical breakdown confusion affecting a number of London stations was at its height, with long queues and seething crowds of passengers delayed for 45 minutes before the Southern Region electric trains started-running again.
It was difficult to get into the station. but the ambulances made their way through and the sick were transferred to the trains calmly and efficiently,