We arrived in Lourdes in the afternoon of August 2005. We rode a coach from Paris. We were transferred to Hotel Saint Sauveur and free time in the afternoon. So we just brought our luggages inside our designated rooms and then we’re off for another adventure.
Lourdes is famous for the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes that was seen by St. Bernadette Soubirous. It was believed that St. Bernadette saw Our Lady 18 times.
Since it’s been a tiring coach ride, we just walked around and see the place on our own. The hotel where we checked in is surrounded with different shops and souvenir stalls. In the evening, we joined the rosary procession held every night in the Sanctuary of Lourdes.
It was one of the memorable rosary processions I had. Not only that we’re actually in Lourdes but it was like an extension of the World Youth Day celebration excpet for majority of the pilgrims are old already. Everyone was praying and I never expected that the procession would be such a massive event.
The next day, we’re scheduled for a half-day city tour. We visited St. Bernadette’s house. The place Le Cachot is a former prison where St. Bernadette lived during the time she saw the apparitions. You’ll see that the place was maintained like a museum.
After the tour, we went around the sanctuary and had our own time after the tour. Some of us went to confession and others went to the Bath in the Grotto.
The Grotto of Massabielle where a sacred spring can be found. This was believed to have some healing properties and even the Catholic Church recognizes its miraculous results. The Bath was believed to cure ailments since the water came from the sacred spring. One of the delegates managed to go there despite the long queue of pilgrims from all over the world. Majority of them are old sick people wanted to be cured thru the help of the holy water. So they immerse their whole body on the pool with freezing cold water from the spring of the grotto and pray that hopefully their sickness will be gone like miracle.
I went for a walk around the sanctuary and lighted a candle for prayer petitions. There are two Basilicas in Lourdes. One is the most prominent because of the high tower, which is the Basilica of Immaculate Conception and the other one is situated below that is the Basilica of the Rosary.
The two Basilicas has their own unique style and ambiance. Both are beautiful in their own way. The thing I liked in the Rosary Basilica is the posters of young Saints that hanged around the whole Basilica. I intentionally looked for St. Dominic Savio since I was a Bosconian before i become a Thomasian.
The whole place was nice especially if you want some time alone with God. The nature and the environment is very much conducive for prayer and reflection time. I hope to go back there in the future.
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