For over a century Lourdes, a small town in the south of France, has been the site of pilgrims and those interested in religious healing. Around 7 million people a year visit Lourdes.
In 1858, a young peasant girl, Bernadette Soubirous, claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary in 18 visions in a nearby cave. By 1859, pilgrims had already started flocking to the small market town. The Vatican investigated and confirmed the vision to be true, making Lourdes an official Catholic religious site.
However it was not just visions that made this site popular amongst Christians. By 1862, seven cures had been recorded and in 1905 Pope Pius X requested that an official process be established to deal with the declaration of cures in Lourdes. A Medical Bureau was set up in Lourdes to examine such incidents. In 2005 Anna Santaniello (warning: page resizes) was the 67th person to be cured at Lourdes and recognized by the Catholic Church. St. Bernadette was beatified in 1925 and canonized in 1933 by Pope Pius XI.
Pilgrimages:
In one of her apparitions to Bernadette, Our Lady of Lourdes indicated that support should be give to pilgrims visiting the site. The town provides a number of services for pilgrims including a free 30-minute video of the Story of Apparitions. The Daily Pilgrimage Service is available in July, August and September. It involves: Mass in the Chapel of St. Cosmas and St. Damien; general introduction to Lourdes; and a tour of Way of the Cross and The Footsteps of Bernadette. There is also L’Accueil Notre Dame, which is neither a hotel nor a hospital, but is specifically reserved for those who have made a pilgrimage to Lourdes and are sick or disabled.
The Grott0 de Massabielle
The Grotto de Massabielle is the cave where Bernadette claims to have seen the Virgin Mary. It is now the main site for pilgrims and people immerse themselves in the cave’s pools, many hoping for miracles. The Torchlight Marian Procession takes place every evening at 9pm. The procession starts at the grotto and ends in the town square. Pilgrims carry candles and a statue of the Our Lady of Lourdes.
Like most religious sites, Lourdes has been the topic of intense speculation. The town has been extensively commercialised. There are a number of gift shops where you can buy ‘artefacts’ and the fact that the town’s economy greatly benefits from the influx of tourists makes many people uncomfortable. While it is made clear that the trinkets and memorabilia are sold by private individuals, the local government isn’t exactly turning people away.
Other activities, that are less religious include Le Pic du Jer and the Musée Pyreneen:
- Le Pic du Jer marks the start of the Pyrenees and overlooks Lourdes. There is a 100-year old chairlift that will take you to the 1000 metre summit in about 6 minutes. You can then walk down the side of the mountain. There is also a sound and light display, which is a traditional French activity, that lasts about 40 minutes.
- Musée Pyrénéen is the only secular tourist site in Lourdes. The old castle now houses a collection of Pyrenean fauna, mountaineering and farming equipment.