Easter in Lourdes, hope in the light
of the Christian faith
What does Easter mean for Christians?
Easter is the most important festival in the Christian faith. It commemorates Jesus Christ’s Resurrection, which celebrates the triumph of life over death and the fulfilment of the promise of salvation. It is a season of joy and hope at the heart of Christianity. Every year, faithful from all over the world gather in their parishes or pilgrimage sites to commemorate this event. Lourdes provides a setting in which to observe this solemnity in prayer and togetherness.
Why does the date of Easter change every year?
Unlike Christmas, which is celebrated every year on 25th December, the date of Easter varies. Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon of spring. This is why the festival can take place anywhere between 22nd March and 25th April.
This variability dates back to the Council of Nicaea in 325, which established this rule to standardise Christian practices. In 2025, the first full moon of spring was on 13th April, so Easter is celebrated on Sunday 20th April.
Easter: the climax of Holy Week
Lent is a period of 40 days leading up to Easter. Its name comes from the Latin quadragesima, meaning ‘fortieth’. Lent therefore begins on the fortieth day before Easter, Ash Wednesday, and therefore logically lasts forty days. Sundays and mid-Lent (or LaetereSunday) are not generally counted as part of this forty-day period.
It is a time of prayer, fasting and togetherness that recalls the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert. This number is often used in the Bible to symbolise periods of transformation, trial or preparation: it recalls the 40 days of the flood, or the 40 years of wandering by the Jewish people before reaching the Promised Land. For Christians, it is a path of conversion that allows us to refocus on what’s essential and prepare our hearts for the joy of the Resurrection.
In 2025, Lent coincides with Ramadan, the Muslim period of fasting and prayer. Although different in their approach, these two spiritual practices share a common desire to strengthen faith, to show solidarity with those most in need and to bring about inner transformation.
Throughout the year, Lourdes welcomes visitors from all over the world and of all faiths, particularly Muslims, for whom Maryam (the Virgin Mary) has a central place in their faith. The Sanctuary is a place of dialogue and mutual respect.
Experience the joy of Easter in Lourdes
In Lourdes, Holy Week is marked by a series of major celebrations.
It begins with Palm Sunday. “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” (Lk. 19:28), and continues with the Easter Triduum, three days that remind us of God’s mercy and lead us into the great mystery of Christ’s Resurrection.
● Easter Sunday: International Mass at the Basilica of Saint Pius X at 9.30am.
The Stations of the Cross are particularly striking in Lourdes, inviting pilgrims to relive the stages of Christ’s Passion. There are two main Stations of the Cross: the Espélugues, which winds its way up the hill, and the Stations of the Cross for the Sick, which is more accessible and more conducive to meditation. Each station is an opportunity to meditate on the suffering, compassion and hope that culminate in the joy of the Resurrection.
In the Sanctuary, the Stations of the Cross represent hope. The fifteenth Station of the Cross at The Espélugues in Lourdes commemorates the Resurrection, which is represented by Christ’s tomb being discovered empty.
Holy Week 2024 in pictures
