Lourdes Pilgrimages 2013

Pastoral Theme

"Lourdes - a Doorway for Faith"

Following the lead of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict, proclaiming a year of Faith, the Bishop of Lourdes, Mgr. Brouwet, has made "Lourdes - a Doorway for Faith" the Pastoral theme for 2013.

He invites pilgrims to visit Lourdes, to join together with other pilgrims in the Processions, Masses and Celebrations, that, through the intercession of our Blessed Lady, their pilgrimage may be the opening of a doorway, enabling them to deepen their relationship with her precious son, Jesus Christ, and strengthen their faith.

In 1858, Lourdes was just a small market town in the backwaters of rural France. The events of February 11th changed the village and have attracted hundreds of millions of pilgrims since that time. Our Lady appeared 18 times, over a period of time, to a poor sickly child called Bernadette Soubirous at the Grotto of Massabielle. On each occasion Bernadette joined Our Lady in saying the Rosary. To this day, the Rosary is an important part of the daily devotions at the shrine.

A Pilgrimage today provides a balance between prayer and leisure, devotion and enjoyment.

All our itineraries include:

• Introduction to the shrine.
• Masses and Stations of the Cross.
• Blessed Sacrament and Torchlight Processions.
• Opportunity to visit the Baths.
• A walking tour following the 2008 Jubilee Way, which includes part of the old town of Lourdes, the Cachot, where St Bernadette lived during the apparitions, the parish church where she was baptised, the Old Hospital where she made her First Communion and the walk from St Michael's Gate to the Grotto.
• Subject to enough interest various excursions can be booked.