Lourdes

Lourdes is located in southern France in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains. On 11 February 1858, a 14-year-old local girl Bernadette Soubirous claimed a lady (faithful believe her to be the Blessed Virgin Mary), appeared to her in the remote Grotto of Massabielle.

A distant view from Chateau Fort of Lourdes

The lady appeared 18 times, and by 1859 thousands of pilgrims were visiting Lourdes. A statue of Our Lady of Lourdes was erected at the site in 1864. At the time of the apparitions, the grotto was on common land used by the villagers variously for pasturing animals collecting firewood, and as a garbage dump and was considered unworthy…

The train station in Lourdes

We arrived at Lourdes in the Summer of 2007 by train (TGV) from Nice and stayed at the Best Western Beausejour just across the train station. Tarbes-Lourdes -Pyrenees Airport also serves Lourdes, although one can again fly into Pau Pyrenees Airport. The town’s train station is operated by both SNFC and TGV trains. The journey from Paris to Lourdes by train lasts five hours by TGV high-speed trains. Many pilgrims also arrive via bus service from France and Spain since we were in Nice the night before it was very convenient for us to come with our Eurorail Pass.

Best Western Beausejour

délicieuse cuisine français

I dislike the part of Lourdes with the neon emblazoned gift shops overflowing with tawdry objects, souvenirs, and relics, “the bric-a-brac of piety,” as some would call them. Some have also labeled Lourdes as the “Disneyland of the Catholic Church.” I can understand why this light can be seen, but I believe the church has distanced itself from commercialization. The many trinket stalls we saw were privately owned, and the hawkers were forbidden inside the sanctuary.

Yearly from March to October, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is a mass pilgrimage from Europe and other parts of the world. Some believe the spring water from the grotto possesses healing properties.

The Basilica Notre Dame in the Sanctuary is a mass pilgrimage from Europe and other parts of the world.

Stations of The Cross

Witnessing the evening procession

Since the apparitions, Lourdes has become one of the world’s leading Catholic Marian shrines, and the number of visitors grows each year. According to Wikipedia, “an estimated 200 million people have visited the shrine since 1860, and the Roman Cathedral Church has officially recognized 69 healing considered miraculous. Cures are examined using Church criteria for authenticity and authentic miracle healing with no physical or psychological basis other than the healing power of the water”.

A view from The Basilica of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of Lourdes

The Grotto of Massabielle, in Lourdes.

Although born and raised in the Lutheran tradition, I have learned (and appreciate) that private revelations do not form part of the deposit of faith of the Catholic Church. The members of the Church are not bound to believe in any of them. However, as a matter of prudence, assent would usually be expected of a Catholic-based on the Church’s discernment and its judgment that an apparition is worthy of belief.

Mass in Lourdes Basilica Notre Dame

From March to October, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is a mass pilgrimage from Europe and many other parts of the world. The Procession of the faithful in Lourdes as seen through the lens of my camera in 2008.

Peace be with you

Nicholas

Just a thought: God uses ordinary people in extraordinary ways. The Apostles were uneducated and had no formal theological training before they met Jesus. Jesus called them to follow Him. They walked with Jesus for three years day and night, watching Him perform miracles and hearing Him teach them personally and as He taught others…and the Great Commission continues…