Pilgrimage will honour the Pope

Laura Gibson, 86, made a vow to visit every major Catholic shrine after she recovered from a life threatening illness in the 1960s.

Since then she has been to Lourdes on nearly 40 occasions and visited Rome five times.

In 1982 she wrote to the Pope requesting a meeting and to her surprise he agreed.

In March the following year she travelled to the Vatican with a coach load of people from Swindon.

Mrs Gibson, of Eastcott Hill, said: "Meeting the Pope was like a fulfilment for me.

"We were ushered into a great hall and then he came in. He came right up. I held my hands out and he touched my left hand and blessed me.

"Afterwards I was shaking and crying and people were running up to me and touching my hand where he had blessed me.

"Even when I came back to Swindon people wanted me to bless them. At church they would ask which hand it was and touch it."

Having lived in Swindon all her life, Mrs Gibson has always attended the Holy Rood church in Groundwell Road.

In 1963 she had a thyroid operation and doctors feared she may not survive after the surgery was complicated by heart trouble.

But following a remarkable recovery she made it her mission to organise countless coach trips to take fellow worshippers to religious sites.

And meeting the Pope was the highlight of them all.

She said: "He was such a lovely Pope. I could never forget it. He was like a saint."

And despite doctors' orders to make last year her final trip to Lourdes, the death of the Pope has changed her mind.

"It's going to be a special trip," she said. "I was not going to do it but I feel I have been picked to do it. I said I would not be able to do it again this year but thank God I am feeling well enough.

"I'm very sad. The death of the Pope brings tears to my eyes. He will be missed."

Anyone who would like to join Mrs Gibson in Lourdes from August 13-19 should call her on 01793 487821. Tickets cost £355.

Gareth Bethell