Lourdes – a place of pilgrimage for the universal church

Lourdes, Lourdes. Whoever thought that there would be so much to see and do? Our time there was so packed that it is difficult to make sense and describe the many different experiences and impressions. After some reflection I thought I could describe it from three different perspectives.

First, as a place of pilgrimage, it is a meeting point for the universal church. Second, where individuals can intensely experience the Lord.
Lastly, it is where the pilgrimage industry can be observed. Not such a spiritual experience but certainly quite interesting to observe.

But first, a little context setting. Lourdes is essentially a pilgrimage town, with hotels, shops and restaurants serving the pilgrims there. We are staying in a hotel just a 5 minute walk away from the Sanctuary, and overlooking the River Gave which Bernadette was supposed to cross when she first saw the apparition of Our Lady. The Sanctuary itself is sprawling – it comprises the Grotto, with a statue on the spot where the apparition appeared and the spring flowing vigorously from the ground. By the Grotto, are the taps from which we can fill our bottles with the water of Lourdes. Then there are the churches – the original Basilica of the Immaculate Conception built directly above the Grotto, and then in front of it the Rosary Basilica, which contains a mosaic for each of the original 15 Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary and in front of it, the latest 5 Luminous Mysteries. Below our feet – the Underground Basilica of Pius X. Across the River, the Church of St Bernadette. There is also a chapel of reconciliation, for confessions. All this just to accommodate the multitudes of pilgrims who throng Lourdes! For more details on Lourdes, St Bernadette, here is the link to the official Lourdes site (check out the little interactive site at the bottom of the screen for a virtual tour of Lourdes!)

Now for the rest of my post.

My first impression was that Lourdes is indeed a meeting point for the universal church. Never have I felt so much the sense that I am in a true community of believers, from all over the world. Since it was Wednesday, we started the day off going for the International Mass, held in the cavernous underground basilica. Mass is said in 6 languages – French, Italian, Spanish, English, German and Dutch. So here we were, with people from all over the world, coming here together and praying in so many languages but yet everyone knew what was going on and able to follow the same mass together. At the beginning of the mass, a priest would “introduce” the various groups of pilgrims, by language group – so a French priest introduced the pilgrims from various French-speaking countries (cheers erupt when each group is announced), followed by the Italian-speaking pilgrims, the Spanish, the English (including a group from Singapore and Malaysia, ie us!!), the German and finally the Dutch-speaking pilgrims. The main celebrant was a French bishop; the readings said in three languages with the reading in the other three languages flashed overhead on the large screens around the basilica; the languages are alternated for the gospel reading. No sermon, but a song about Bernadette ends the mass.

But this is only one of the “mass activities” here in Lourdes. Lourdes is a place where the sick take pride of place. They have special reserved areas during the mass, and in the evening there is a special Blessing for the sick, where the sick move in procession to the Underground Basilica where we together adore the Blessed Sacrament.

But the culmination of any visit to Lourdes has to be the candlelight procession. Our Lady said to Bernadette, that she wanted people to come in procession here. The candlelight procession is long, very long. And this is not even the peak of the pilgrimage season! We assemble about half an hour before the procession and find a place to stand. We have our own banner (Malaysia/Singapore) and arranged ourselves behind it. Behind us, there is an Irish group behind us from Waterford and also a German group. The rosary is said in the same six languages, with the leaders from the different language groups taking turns to lead the “Hail Marys”. We take one hour to say the rosary, as songs are sung after each decade. As we recite the rosary, we walk in procession slowly, behind the statue of Our Lady, around the great field in front of the two Basilicas until we get to the square right in front of the basilica. Even by the time the statue reaches the front of the basilica again, there are still pilgrims starting to make their way around the square.

Carrying our candles high, we move in a snaking “S” shape pattern (see video below) till we reached the front of the Basilica. We end off with “Salve Regina”, which we have been learning over the past few days but I must admit I still wasn't very good (and I am not able to sing it now either). Finally, we offer the sign of peace to all those around us. The crowd disperses, back to our hotels, and then to our own homes. But we bring a little of the peace of Lourdes with us.

More photos of Lourdes here.