The Interns and Volunteers Department at the Marie Saint-Frai Reception Centre
Serve with love, support with faith: join the Sisters of the Marie Saint-Frai Welcome Centre on their human and spiritual journey of hospitality and compassion.
At Accueil Marie Saint-Frai, trainees and volunteers play a vital role in the mission of welcoming sick and disabled pilgrims. Their commitment, availability and generosity ensure that warm and compassionate support is provided throughout the season.
They also share in the community’s life of prayer and social gatherings with the Sisters, in a spirit of fellowship and service.
This service is a deeply enriching human and spiritual experience, enabling trainees from the Hospitalité Notre-Dame de Lourdes and volunteers to discover the rewards of serving the most vulnerable, in an environment imbued with faith and compassion.
At Accueil Marie Saint-Frai, trainees and volunteers play a vital role in the mission of welcoming sick and disabled pilgrims. Their commitment, availability and generosity ensure that warm and compassionate support is provided throughout the season.
They also share in the community’s life of prayer and social gatherings with the Sisters, in a spirit of fellowship and service.
This service is a deeply enriching human and spiritual experience, enabling trainees from the Hospitalité Notre-Dame de Lourdes and volunteers to discover the rewards of serving the most vulnerable, in an environment imbued with faith and compassion.
Life at the Home
True to their vocation of hospitality and compassion, the Sisters of the Franciscan Congregation of the Daughters of Our Lady of Sorrows live and serve within the home. They oversee the running of all services, supported by a team of staff and by volunteers from the Notre-Dame de Lourdes Hospitality Group, who take turns throughout the season.The history of the Marie Saint-Frai Centre is characterised by a valuable and enduring collaboration between the Congregation and the Hospitality Association, which has enabled the Marie Saint-Frai Service to become one of the six major services of the Notre-Dame de Lourdes Hospitality Association.
The mission
The primary mission of the Accueil is to provide sick and/or disabled pilgrims, accompanied by their carers, with the best possible conditions to enable them to experience their pilgrimage to Lourdes to the full.Services on offer
Room service
This service plays a central role in the well-being of pilgrims. It includes:Welcoming pilgrims: providing a caring presence from the moment they arrive and supporting them throughout their stay,
Room checks: ensuring their stay runs smoothly and addressing any specific needs,
Meal and washing-up service: assistance with daily logistical tasks.
Laundry service: assistance with laundry.
Porters’ service, or wheelchairs
This service is essential for welcoming and supporting pilgrims with reduced mobility.Preparation of wheelchairs: booked by groups and individuals as required.
Loaning and collection of wheelchairs, as well as cleaning and refurbishment.
Information and guidance: welcoming pilgrims on arrival, helping them find their way around the various areas of the Accueil Marie Saint-Frai, and answering practical questions regarding their stay.
Where? Near the chapels, on Avenue Bernadette Soubirous; our office is in the courtyard. We look forward to welcoming you there.
Open from April to October, 7 days a week
Opening hours: 8.00 am to 12.00 pm and 2.00 pm to 6.30
pm
This service is often pilgrims’ first point of contact with the centre. We are committed to offering a simple, warm and attentive welcome, so that everyone feels expected and supported from the moment they arrive.
The Meeting Point Service
The Meeting Point, situated at the heart of the building’s entrance, is a warm and welcoming space within the Marie Saint-Frai Reception Centre, where pilgrims, volunteers, hospital staff and patients can come together to chat, relax and share a moment of fellowship.A warm and welcoming space within the Marie Saint-Frai Reception Centre, the Meeting Point is situated at the entrance to the skylight area, in the patients’ wing. It offers a pleasant break to chat, relax and share a moment of fellowship over a hot drink or freshly squeezed orange juice.
Serving at the Accueil Marie Saint-Frai
Volunteering at the Accueil Marie Saint-Frai is much more than just a service: it means becoming a messenger of joy and kindness, and spreading the message of Lourdes.Every gesture, every smile, every act of kindness becomes a true act of love. Giving a little of your time here means sowing hope in the hearts of the most vulnerable and reminding them that they are welcome, accepted and loved.
Together, united in the same spirit, we place ourselves at the service of every person to make the pilgrimage more beautiful, more fraternal and more meaningful.
Accommodation and meals
During your stay at the Marie Saint-Frai Guest House in Lourdes, you will be welcomed with warmth and kindness by the Sisters. They offer comfortable single or twin rooms where you can find rest and tranquillity.Every morning, a breakfast served on the premises awaits you in a warm, friendly atmosphere, all at a reasonable price.
You will have the option of taking your other meals at the Saint-Michel self-service restaurant, located on the premises of the Hospitalité, near the Porte Saint-Michel.