Catholic Association Pilgrimage

The Catholic Association of the UK, abbreviated to the CA, has been around in one form or another since 1881 and ran its first pilgrimage to Lourdes in 1901. Its objects are set out in the Memorandum and Articles but its main purpose is to mastermind the CA Annual Pilgrimage to Lourdes, currently incorporating the diocesan pilgrimages of Clifton Diocese, East Anglia Diocese, Northampton Diocese, Portsmouth Diocese, Southwark Archdiocese, and the Stonyhurst College Lourdes Pilgrimage and British Province of the Carmelites Pilgrimage. Each of these groups is overseen by a Diocesan Director. The entire Pilgrimage is coordinated by the Pilgrimage Director (currently Mgr Bill Saunders from Southwark Archdiocese)and the Pilgrimage Management Committee, and takes place at the end of August.

The CA is a registered charity.

The Catholic Association was founded in 1891, with the approval and blessing of Cardinal Manning. Its original objects are stated in its Rules as being;

To promote unity and good fellowship among Catholics by organising lectures, concerts, dances, whist tournaments, excursions, and other gatherings of a social character, and to assist, whenever possible, in the work of Catholic organization, and in the protection and advancement of Catholic interests.

It was particularly successful in the organization of pilgrimages to Rome and other places of Catholic interest.

The first pilgrimage to Lourdes took place in September 1901 and became the forerunner of what nowadays is known as the CA Annual.

The Second World War brought the activities of the Association to a halt. However, in 1947 the organisation of pilgrimage resumed with the first to Lourdes in that year. The Catholic Association was responsible for organising the HCPT pilgrimage at Easter until that pilgrimage separated to make its own arrangements. A similar situation arose when the pilgrimage of the burgeoning diocese of Arundel and Brighton was removed from the Catholic Association by the Bishop, Michael Bowen. That Diocese now has a very successful pilgrimage to Lourdes in July each year.

...
Wikipedia