Oh My Lourdes!

The majestic Pyrenees.  There are no words to describe their beauty - pictures don't do them justice!

The Notre Dame cathedral of Lourdes.  Yes, there are many Notre Dames!

A side view of Notre Dame

The blessed grotto, where millions have come to pray and light candles from all walks of life.  There was an indescribable energy felt here, and I was very touched by it, as I'm sure many others in my group were.

One of the ramps leading up to the chapel of the church.  There are two, but only one would fit a picture!

The sun is beginning to set behind the steeples of Notre Dame.

The other ramp which leads up to the chapel of Notre Dame.  The ramps were built so that caretakers and loved ones can wheel their sick in need of healing to the place where healing happens most.

The castle of Lourdes, seen from a distance

The pilgrims mass - every night at 9:00 pm.  Sometimes there are more than 40,000 people present!

The mass is in full swing here; more and more people are pouring in to the square.

Maybe you can get a small idea from this picture as to just how many people are present at pilgrim's mass each evening.  It was beyond moving, and I will never forget this experience.

Nestled deep within the Pyrenee Mountains in southern France is a city called Lourdes.  This city has changed hands throughout history several times, and was and still is a major area of commerce for those traveling and living there.  The city is most famous for the "Marienne Apparitions", 18 sightings of the Virgin Mary beheld by a young woman named Bernadette Soubirous.
  Many chapels have been built in order to serve those who come on the Pilgrimage, and the city of Lourdes hosts well over 5 million pilgrims and tourists every year.  Also noteworty is the castle that lies in the center of the city only accessible by elevaters.  Many say that this is the best way to see the town. 

All I can say so far is that this whole trip has been amazing; we have seen so much, and it's hard to believe we have only been gone for three days.  Today we drove from Toulouse through Auch, Mirande, Tarbe, all beautiful cities to say the absolute least, but then we hit Lourdes...and for Lourdes I have no words.


This city is probably, in my opinion, the loveliest we have beheld on our journey thus far (don't get me wrong, all others have their unique and glorious charm, but something about this place grabs my heart in a way that I cannot explain).  Despite the "touristy" shops laden all about, and there are a TON of them, something very real, a strong sense of unity through shared belief is most definitely present here.


When we approached the grotto and ran our hands along the rock, as millions have done for hundreds of years, I thought about how real this journey is to those who come to this place for healing and prayer.  When we placed our burning candles among those lit nearby, I felt an undeniable power only felt by the bonding of believers praying for a move of God.  And at the candlelight mass, I was near tears as thousands (and I mean THOUSANDS) of church members, pilgrims, lame and sick, all gathered in one spirit to worship together.  I am truly touched by this day, and feel incredibly blessed to be a part of this awesome journey.


Until later,
Jenna