Dear friends,
We have had a generous allocation of tickets. Please sign up if you would like to be included, BUT please read the considerations below:
1. Travel will be as a group (no private arrangements may be made) by coach departing from Inverness on the morning of Thu 16 Sep. NB Subsequent enquiry now indicates that people may travel to Glasgow independently, BUT they must RV with the Coach at a location yet to be agreed where they will have reserved their seats. £20 is payable by everyone no matter how you travel. Pilgrim Leader should please contact Fr Fr Bell with new names and arrangements. We will need to keep in contact with the Papal Visit Office to be given our RV for independent travellers meeting up with the coaches.
EVERYONE ATTENDING MUST BE IN A DESIGNATED GROUP : PLEASE SIGN UP!
2. There will be a walk of approx 45 minutes duration from the coach dropping off point/security check to the allocated location in the Park. Subsequent enquiry now indicates that for those for whom the walk will be a burden there will be a fleet of shuttle buses from the drop-off point to the Park.
3. Everyone (all groups) must be in place by 3.00 pm ( seats will NOT be provided). Yes, but again enquiry has revealed that pilgrims may take easily portable folding chairsand/or shooting sticks with bum rests. But there should not be a bigger ratio of portable chairs to pilgrims of 3/5. Space will be limited!!!
4. The Park is exposed and there is no shelter/weather protection-temperatures can be low (the maximum average temperature over the last five years has been 7 degree Celsius- but it has been as low as 1 degree Celsius). Again enquiry has revealed that LARGE umbrellas should NOT be taken (security considerations and obscuring of lines of sight), but very small pocket size/bag size umbrellas may be taken for the walking, but not to be used during the Mass.
Small hand luggage may be taken: to pack ponchos, rainwear, lunch and meal containers. There will be catering facilities available but taking your own food and drink is advised.
Toilet facilities will be provided.
Please do NOT take sharp objects. There will be random spot checks.
5. After the Mass which is scheduled to end by 7.30 pm ( by which time it will be dark) it will take some hours to empty the Park in a controlled manner.
6. The coaches will depart from a designated point, perhaps not before 9.00 pm at the earliest.
7. The time of arrival for the return to Inverness is unlikely to be before midnight.
8. To cover costs of transport, a contribution towards the Pilgrim pack and an administration fee, a charge of £20 per person will need to be made. We would ask that Pilgrims would take personal responsibility for this. Should anyone want to attend and find the costs prohibitive please let me know, with an indication of how much he/she would be able to pay.
9. This will be a very long day, and it is clear that the Pilgrims attending this Mass will need to be physically robust enough to cope with the travel and the other challenges.
10. A return has to be made to the Office of the Papal Visit by Mon 2 August, so your urgent attention to this is required.
11. Should anyone want to attend either the Prayer Vigil at Hyde Park in London or the Mass of Beatification of John Henry Newman at Cofton Park, Birmingham please contact Fr James Bell through the St Mary’s Parish Office as soon as possible.
12. Travel arrangements and other administrative details will be sent to the Parish office by the Papal Visit Office as soon as possible after the Papal Visit Office has received our response. Further information will be relayed within the Parish by letter and the Bulletin.
PLEASE CO-OPERATE BY YOUR URGENT ATTENTION
Thank you,
Fr James Bell
