This article appeared in the Surrey Herald in their edition of 24 July 2008.

Rt Revd Kieran Conry, Bishop of Arundel & Brighton

The Diocese of Arundel and Brighton       News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   The Bishop of Arundel & Brighton, Rt. Rev Kieran Conry, has praised a new book on Lourdes, “Where Echoes Meet”: the book is written by Catherine Simon an 18-year-old student from Weybridge in Surrey.   “The nine stories told in this book are moving testimonies to what effects Lourdes can have on people’s lives, and how the love of others can help move people through their darkest times,” said the Bishop. “Catherine has been to Lourdes with her family and the diocese many times, and this book was her idea and all her own work.  It is a lovely piece of work,” he added.   One of the nine is the subject of an official miracle, and the other eight have been members of the Arundel & Brighton Lourdes pilgrimage, which this year takes a record thousand-plus pilgrims with their 220 sick for the 150th anniversary of the apparitions to Bernadette.   The introduction to the book has been written by Abigail Witchalls, who herself has travelled to Lourdes with the diocesan pilgrimage.  She says, “We learn most from the people who are weakest, and are changed by the people we were hoping to change.”   The book goes on sale on 20 July at the final Arundel & Brighton Lourdes Pilgrimage briefing day at Worth Abbey in West Sussex. Catherine herself is currently in Sydney, Australia with over 50 young adults from the diocese and Bishop Kieran. They are all there for the World Youth Day with Pope Benedict XVI and thousands of other young pilgrims from all over the world. She returns just in time to join this year’s diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes which sets off on 24 July.   Details can be found on its own website:  whereechoesmeet.com   For more information contact Contact: Mark Woods, Diocesan Communications Officer Phone: 01293 515666 or 07528 438042