Nine people have just returned from Lourdes thanks to the sponsorship of the AX Foundation. They formed part of the annual pilgrimage organised by the Assocjazzjoni Voluntarji Lourdes (AVL), which assists the sick to travel from Malta to visit the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Lourdes at the Grotto where on the 11th February 1858 she appeared for the first time to the simple peasant girl Bernadette Soubirous.

The AX Foundation, under the chairmanship of Mrs Josephine Xuereb, organises regular fund-raising activities, in aid of various charitable organisations and individuals in need. This year, fully conscious of the expenses involved in transporting deserving cases to Lourdes, the Foundation dedicated most of its fund raising activities in support of AVL’s 2009 pilgrimage, and managed to collect sufficient funds to cover the expenses of nine of the pilgrims.

Mrs Xuereb, who accompanied the group, was struck by the shared spirit of faith, which draws together people who come from all over the world, despite the differences of language, culture and personality. She added that this was an uplifting five-day experience, which thanks to the work of the AVL, and the backing of all those who supported the Foundation’s activities, provided a once-in-a-lifetime event for nine people.