Perth pilgrims holed up as Gave de Pau overflows

26 Oct 2012

By The Record

Kolbe Catholic College staff member, Leanne Joyce was holed up in Lourdes with her fellow pilgrims and City Beach parish priest, Fr Don Kettle when flash flooding hit the region on Saturday, October 20.

It resulted in the first halting of processions to the shrine in 25 years.

The pilgrim group began their pilgrimage at Fatima, and then went on to Montserrat.

At the time of printing, the shrine was getting back to normal after flood waters had subsided and the pilgrim group was leaving for Rocamadour, after which it will travel on to Paray-le-Monial.

At its height, the water was around one metre deep in front of the grotto where Mary appeared to a local girl in 1858.