HUNDREADS OF CADETS NORMANDS MAKE THE DREAM TRUE OF 116 VULNERABLE TO LOURDES

USPA NEWS - This summer, the Norman Cadets, with (123)hundred and twenty three nurses and (160) hundred and sixty Normans, once again organized a pilgrimage trip to Lourdes for the happiness of a (116) hundred and sixteen sick and disabled people. Which means that after 3 volunteers to take care of each "residents", ie the sick and or disabled. It is a rare ratio where the sick and / or disabled people will be supervised and pampered during the 13 days of their trip from Le Havre to Lourdes. The TGV Departs from Le Havre to Lourdes, for a journey of 7:50, was totally reserved by the Normans. They perpetrated the tradition of this association in the service of shrouds to accompany the most vulnerable and / or destitute, for once again to show sacrifice, piety and charity towards their neighbor. Samuel Craquelin and Jean Pierre Bally the current, are the two successive Presidents of the Association born in 1898. Marie Claire Delahouraie is the Vice President and in charge of the whole logistic organization before the pilgrimage of August, to Lourdes.

This summer, the Norman Cadets, with 123 nurses and 160 Normans, once again organized a pilgrimage trip to Lourdes for the happiness of a hundred sick and disabled people. Which means that after 3 volunteers to take care of each "residents", ie the sick and or disabled. It is a rare ratio where the sick and / or disabled people will be supervised and pampered during the 13 days of their trip from Le Havre to Lourdes. The TGV Departs from Le Havre to Lourdes, for a journey of 7:50, was totally reserved by the Normans. They perpetrated the tradition of this association in the service of shrouds to accompany the most vulnerable and / or destitute, for once again to show sacrifice, piety and charity towards their neighbor. Samuel Craquelin and Jean Pierre Bally the current, are the two successive Presidents of the Association born in 1898. Marie Claire Delahouraie is the Vice President and in charge of the whole logistic organization before the pilgrimage of August, to Lourdes. It takes guts and lost of energy, in order to get every specific detail for the hundreds of disabled people being handled carefully by the hundreds of nurses and Norman Cadets, at Le Havre and then at Lourdes during a fortnight. Marie Claire works together with Jean Pierre and Samuel for decades now and made this possible : --------------------------------------- As the Management of Norman cadets explains : « In 4 months, Thursday, August 24, we will be on our way to Lourdes to make our annual pilgrimage in the company of pilgrims who will be entrusted to us. During this Pilgrimage of Lourdes Nurses, Normans and Scouts will make a commitment. Bernadette, February 18, 1858, committed to come to the Grotto for a fortnight, we know how far will lead this commitment! Let's not be afraid to commit ourselves and be made worthy of these promises! In the image of Mary who said YES to the call of the Lord, let us not be afraid to let ourselves be guided by Him! In the image of Christ who surrendered himself on the cross to redeem our sins, let us be ready to be made worthy of Him! In the image of all those who work for a better world and who announce the Gospel, let us be witnesses of the love of God! In all areas, let us not be afraid to give our word and fulfill the will of the Father, who gave his son to save us! »

THE PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES TAKES PLACE EVERY YEAR ON AGUST 24TH TO CELEBRATE THE BLESSED SACRAMENT OF VIRGIN MARIE---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It all began in 1898, in preparation for the diocesan pilgrimage, a group of 17 young men of the Filipino patronage under the impetus of Jules Tinel, student wishing a group of stretcher bearers, that the abbots Auvray, Lecoufley, Paillard and Paillette as well as Messrs. Montier, Tinel, Moncuy, Auvray, Lepretre, Foursin Liegault, Malandin, Saillard, Legentil, Avril, Vaillot and Grandserre accompanied 154 patients to Lourdes.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Until 1974, the Norman Cadets, were under the patronage of the diocese of Rouen and then taken over entirely by the Diocese of Le Havre, explains Jean Pierre Baly, (President of the Association Norman Cadets) and how the Virgin Mary has them  "used as instruments " to achieve this noble mission of the Pilgrimage of Lourdes.-------------------------------------------- No pilgrimage is ever identical to the preceding one, and its verse by its encounters of beautiful souls and special persons, driven by beautiful emotions while they are under the healings of the body and / or the soul. The whole of this emotional package will end up with a coming back boomerang effect as everyone lights up the heart and the soul getting more purified, because of the closeness to Jesus Christ and the Virgin Marie, whose eighteen appearances in Lourdes were defeated by the young Bernadette Soubirou. » We sat and had a candid conversation with Samuel Cracquelin and Jean Pierre Bally to understand both the birth and progress of the Norman Cadets but especially what motivates them and pushes them to sacrifice themselves in the name of the poor, to the cave of appearance of the Virgin Mary in Lourdes and perform each summer the Blessed Sacrament in the Basilica of Lourdes.

INTERVIEW : We are publishing this emotional and spiritual special interview QUESTION USPA : CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE THE TAKING OVER OF THE PRESIDENCY FROM SAMUEL CRAQUELIN TO JEAN PIERRE BALLY ?------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ANSWER JEAN PIERRE BALLY: Samuel explains to us how the Presidency of the Normandy Cadets (Norman Cadets) association was handed over to successor Jean Pierre Bally, a banker in Le Havre. "In addition to my job as landscaper, Mayor of a town in Normandy and president of a city, in 2000, I was in charge of several associative activities and I proposed to Jean Pierre Bally to take over of the Presidency of the "Norman Cadets". Because it is a common way him and me. And we do not pretend to "save the younger Normans" because it was the Virgin Mary who saved them and used both of us. And we did not want to change something that worked very well, because there was meaning and depth, and unique. We thought we would have a referendum on a Good Friday in 1988 and ask the Cadets du Havre "Are you for or against" the maintenance of the association of the Norman Cadets? And the vote was a massive YES ... over 95%. » acknowledges JeanPierre Bally.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Before we vote, we feel called to do it, we are only instruments, and the previous way of conducting does not please us. This is why we try not to impose a selection, not to limit ourselves to the choice of candidates who are "bourgeois religiously educated". Because we consider the people to be everyone, a sweeper or a minister. And we also take Cadets who are themselves sick or disabled. And it is this spirit that rules and has become a strength of our association, including all classes, including a young Muslim who welcomed to become Cadet Normand. We met him by chance on our way. That's why we want our ascension to be strong in both urban and urban areas, affecting all social classes of the population.--------------------- This pilgrimage this year, was really special, with a nice atmosphere and we are grateful by the magic of this little supplement of soul, with small very beautiful signs. We are free, and we are at peace and we are not afraid of anything. And people feel that it is the Cadets or the sick and this is a real project of society because it is what God wants and why the Virgin Mary enlightened us. The true arm of this pilgrimage is due to the Cadets who organize everything, namely, logistics, transport, meals, infrastructure, animation, care, and nurses are at most near the sick for the toilet and care. Everyone is at his place at once spiritual and visionary technique. " Explains Samuel Craquelin.

QUESTION USPA : WHAT PUSHES NORMANDS CADETS TO VOLUNTEER AND EVEN PAYING FOR THEIR JOURNEY?------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ANSWER JEAN PIERRE BALLY: « It's been forty years since I go and I still do not explain it, it's a state of mind. At the launching ceremony of the Norman Cadets, it is the elders who gave their insignia to the new Cadets and Nurses and pin the badge and then I said it was the symbol of this badge that binds us with those who we serve. And so really we do not know WHO DOES WHO? In fat our service in Lourdes near the sick and handicapped, it is always this question that is asked is not a view of the mind.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ANSWER SAMUEL CRAQUELIN:  It is not communicable how to feel the emotion that really lives during the pilgrimage. We are apple, that's what I feel each year. Even though I can not always release myself. But I know that I'm chubby to serve in the heart of a brotherhood that is this unique association that are the "Normans". This call as if the Virgin Mary calls you and takes you by the hand and the Christ is also with me and it is union of Christ and Mary and it is the center of our faith, which is multiplied in Lourdes where we dedicated to all the poorest and those who suffer. They are all "sacred and unique beings" and this side "meeting our neighbor in heart and body" is enormous. And for Cadets themselves it's great what's happening for them too. 

USPA QUESTION : CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE SUCCESS OF THE NORMANDY CADETS UNIFORM THAT IS SO ORIGINAL & ENVISAGED BY OTHER VOLUNTEERS ?----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ANSWER JEAN PIERRE BALLY: There is a whole story about how the clothes were carefully chosen by the Norman Cadets had been carefully preserved through the drawings with a touch of modernity, which makes it so original authentic, and envied by other volunteers Lourdes. Moreover, this outfit is so typical that it does not look like any of the other volunteers of Lourdes wind of the whole world for the profession and the Virgin Mary which takes place around the 25th of August ... "Historically, we have always worn the white beret at the origin of the uniform, then the suspenders, which have a technical utility for carrying stretchers, at the time of the arrival of the sick at the station to balance the weight on shoulders. We kept them symbolically as a sign of service. Once the Cadets are out of their hours of service, they must respect this ramp (lowered in sign of off duty) because we do not smoke with, or others ....-------------------------------------------------------------- For two years, the people of the hospitality welcomed at the railway stations and airports of Lourdes (French and other French foolishness) and of which I am also part, also want to copy our models of braces And since 20 years, the residents, the day of the procession make a sartorial effort before the Blessed Sacrament. This is how we thought we could give a necktie to the younger Norman boys on a white shirt to mark this day of the Blessed Sacrament. But they kept it all the time, and so that's how this uniform outfit was imposed. And our young people are very proud to wear white shirt, tie, white beret during the whole period of the pilgrimage. The uniform does not prioritize the social layer.

QUESTION USPA : WHAT IS THE MISSION OF NORMANDY CADETS AT LOURDES ?------------------------------------- ANSWER JEAN PIERRE BALLY: There was a resident whom I met at the beginning of the pilgrimage which was bedridden and in pains, and with clothes alone, and as we saw her light up, and see her sitting in a chair and leaving radiant and another example at my table was the example of a very tough rigorous woman from the countryside. She obviously kept her strict habits, as she came from rural and spoke to no one and rather shut up, and then there water this exchange acce the nurses who serve us with meals songs, flatter table or everyone was happy and at the last day her degree of sympathy at the end of the pilgrimage, she laughed and amused. That was the Lourdes magic effect happening right away !---------------------- ANSWER SAMUEL CRAQUELIN: We never return the same from Lourdes, it's always new ! Jean Pierre BALLY: I tell them you're going to have a number of emotions from beautiful people and it's pretty rare to see bad people down there. People deride and find themselves in their pure authenticity.