Activities available at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes
The activities available at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes enable pilgrims to discover or rediscover the beauty and simplicity of this place and the apparitions of the Virgin Mary, as well as the relevance of her message of peace, comfort and hope.
IN BERNADETTE'S FOOTSTEPS
One of the best ways to find out about the history of Lourdes is to walk in Bernadette’s footsteps. You can follow a circular route that takes you to the main places where she lived, from her birth in 1844 to her departure for Nevers in 1866, which were the setting for the apparitions of 1858. Let Saint Bernadette guide you either by following this path yourself, or by being accompanied by a volunteer member of the Sanctuary’s reception team, a nun, a seminarian or a priest.
Duration: 1h 30mins
THE PATH OF BERNADETTE ACROSS THE CITY
A new historical route
Following in Bernadette’s footsteps in Lourdes means discovering the places that were familiar to her: her mill where she was born (the Boly Mill), the Cachot where she lived with her family, especially at the time of the apparitions in 1858, the Hospice where she went to school with the Sisters of Nevers and where she made her First Holy Communion.
You will also see the parish church where the font used for her baptism can still be found, the former Presbytery where she met Father Peyramale, and Bartrès where she lived twice, first as a child and then again in 1857 at the age of thirteen.
Finally, you can visit the Maison Paternelle called the Lacadé Mill, which was the house of Bernadette’s parents after the apparitions.
STATIONS OF THE CROSS
Every day and in various languages, the Information Centre offers you the chance to pray the Stations of the Cross, led by one of the Sanctuary’s priests or a nun on mission in the Sanctuary, enabling you to experience and meditate on Christ’s Passion. Every day (except Sunday) from 9:30 a.m.
The Espélugues Way of the Cross
Duration: 1h 30mins
LISTENING POINT
We never come to Lourdes on our own: each time, we are accompanied by all our family and friends who have asked us to pray for them, to light a candle or to bring back some water. Mary is waiting for us at the foot of the Rock. She welcomes us, listens to us and comforts us.
Sometimes we need to put into words what is weighing on our hearts. In Lourdes, there are trained people available to listen to you and help you focus more clearly, or talk about what touched you during your stay in Lourdes.
CELEBRATING THE GESTURES OF LOURDES
This year, the sanctuary is inviting you to take part in the gestures of popular devotion which are at the heart of the Lourdes Pilgrimage. These gestures are those that Bernadette made during the apparitions: going into the Grotto and touching the rock, drinking at the spring and washing there, lighting a candle. These gestures can be experienced individually or in groups.
Here are some suggestions that will help you experience these gestures of faith, either as a pilgrimage or in a group.
For the water gesture, throughout the pilgrimage season, volunteers help to carry out this symbolic gesture at the Baths. It can be done individually, as a couple, as a family… but especially with Mary and Bernadette!
The gesture of the rock, all day, except during celebrations.
The water gesture at the Baths: 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. & 2:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
The gesture of light, all day at the chapels of light.
PROCESSIONS
If you wish to continue your day pilgrim experience, join the Eucharistic procession with the blessing of the sick at 5:00 p.m., in which all the pilgrims present in Lourdes set off on a journey. The procession travels from the Grotto of Lourdes to the underground basilica, where the sick await the real presence of God among humankind.
During the torchlight procession at 9:00 p.m., the pilgrims set off once again, praying to Mary by candlelight and accompanied by songs and prayers in all the different languages of groups currently present in the Sanctuary.
LOURDES FILM
The film presenting Lourdes and its message is shown every day at the Information Centre:
Salle Peyramale in French every hour: 9am/10am/11am/2pm/3pm/4pm/5pm
Salle Leuret: – 1:45 p.m. in German; – 2.30 p.m. in Italian; – 3:15 p.m. in Spanish and 4 p.m. in English.
More information
The Sanctuary’s Information is open every day from 8:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and from 1:45 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
+33 (0)5 62 42 2008
saccueil@lourdes-france.com
