It’s been an incredible few days.  While this pilgrimage is called “feeding your faith”, it’s more like “all you can eat feasting!”  Since we left the Dulles Airport about 1 hour late due to rain, we rushed in the parish airport to make the flight to Toulousse, a beautiful and modern “red bricked city” of about 60,000 people.  We met our guide, Esther Peters and our Driver Terry who helped us load our luggage for a two hour bus ride to our first stop.  Despite the fact that one of our members had a “lost luggage” we were prepared for this pilgrimage, and my tip to pack an extra change of clothes in their hand carry helped them feel secure.  St. Anthony helped us out and we received the luggage just one day late!  But, at this point, we had beautiful weather as we made our way to the city of Lourdes, France.

The basilica marks the spot over the grotto (cave) where a young peasant girl named Bernadette went with two friends to look for firewood.  When she came across a trickling stream, she heard a rustle of wind and looked up to see the first of 18 visions of the blessed Virgin Mary.  Perched on a rock, dressed in white with yellow roses on her feet, the Virgin Mary eventually revealed herself as the Immaculate Conception.  While this young girl didn’t even know what that meant, it became a great confirmation for the Dogma that was officially proclaimed just a few years prior in 1854.

These miraculous encounters brought on many wonderful things such as a flowing spring that has miraculous healing power, her vocation to serve as a religious sister, and eventually deep conversion for the 6 million people who pilgrimage there seeking faith and healing.  It’s a place where sick are cared for with true Christian Charity.    Each night thousands gather to process in song and to pray the rosary in several languages.  Leading the procession are the sick people, especially cared for by volunteers who lead them in wheel chair, armed with rosaries and candles to light the dark night with prayer and hope!  It was a remarkable sight!

 

It’s a place where miracles occur, especially since St. Bernadette and our Blessed Mother point to Jesus!  Our first day we had Mass in a small chapel off the side of the Basilica.  Our hotel, “San Saveur” (Holy Savior) was in a perfect location near the grotto where our group visited the various basilicas.  There are several places to pray – the upper Basilica, the lower Basilica, and the Rosary Basilica – one built on top of the other.  There is also the grotto, the place where people are immersed in the healing waters, the area for the candles, the Blessed Sacrament Tent, the Church of San Bernadette, the convent, and the lower basilica that can hold up to 20,000 people.  In a town that only has 15,000 people and 270 hotels, you can see that Lourdes is no longer a “forgotten city” as it was in Bernadette’s time. It’s now one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in the Catholic World, especially since medical science has given a “thumbs up” to at least 60+ miracles (i.e., unproven medically), despite the fact that thousands and thousands have experienced unexplainable miracle.  

On my second day there, we had a wonderful tour with our local guide, Kathy, who showed us the modest place where Bernadette was born. But, in the midst of a depression, her family had to move into a one room home called the “Cachot” , i.e., the former prison.

Since these miraculous visions occurred, Bernadette sought solitude with the Daughters of Charity where she became a nun and eventually died. 30 years after her death, she was proclaimed a saint. When her body was exhumed, she was found to be completely in tact – a true incorruptible saint!  Of course that miracle added to the fervor that so many people have when they come to pray.  The views of the city are breathtaking.  The faith of the people is inspiring.

 

Our pilgrims made their way through the procession, got bottles of the miracle water to take back as souvenirs, and even had some time to sample the local cuisine… feasting on many things… especially the local crepes complete (i.e., crepes with egg, ham and cheese, which is best served with sparkling apple cider wine).

Our second full day, we began our long bus ride to Avignon – the city of the Popes.  It’s the place where almost 122 years of the Roman Papacy took residence, until Catherine of Sienna convinced Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome and reclaim the proper seat of the Pope in 13 September 1376.  But, before that we stopped in a medieval city of Carcassone where we visited a real castle – a kingdom with real ramparts, draw bridges and even a moat!  

But, in the midst of it all, we even stopped in truck stop unlike anything we have in America.  At this autogrille, you can even buy murano glass jewelry, eat gourmet meals, and even buy chocolate truffles and cans of foie gras!

Yes, we definitely are having a wonderful time so far. Despite some heavy rains, we’ve found respite in beautiful old churches, and definitely at our hotel restaurants!

Tomorrow, we’ll be off to visit some other sites before we make our way to Nice, and continue our feeding your faith tour with food for Body, Mind and Soul!

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