Visit to Lourdes

For those not familiar with the religious miracle at Lourdes, you might recall the Jennifer Jones movie "Song of Bernadette" about an illiterate French girl who encountered the image of a "lady" 18 times at or near the grotto at Lourdes.  The image said a church should be built on that spot, and so it came to pass.

In this photo you can see the image of the Madonna with a golden head in the grotto itself

This is a picture of the church built right on top of the grotto

These are the taps for the holy water that you just help yourself to in order to cure ailments

Two beautiful portals to the church

This is reserved seating for the sick who attend the outdoor mass

That evening there was a huge processional mass.  There are 6 million visitors a year.

Everyone was given a candle to carry as we all walked behind the lighted portable Madonna

A priest scurrying along with his backpack

The following videos are bits of the procession and mass

 

Here is the commercial side of the town that surrounds the shrine

Containers to carry away the holy water

Stores chock full of Madonna's of every size and all the other saints as well