I arrived in Lourdes at 2:30 yesterday afternoon (Sunday) by train. I consulted my Lonely Planet guide and chose a small campground in a non touristic part of town. It’s nothing great but peaceful, shady and convenient for walking everywhere. It’s situated behind an old hotel of sorts and run by a nice friendly older couple who live on the premises. I paid 16 Euros for two nights (approx. 20 USD).
Sunday morning I was ready to get out of St Jean Pied Port. It felt a little odd being there for some reason. The touristic atmosphere coupled with sardine style camping in a town lot surrounded by old fortress walls made an otherwise appealing village unappealing. I have wonderful memories of starting my Camino de Santiago in St Jean two years ago but the packs of new Pilgrims showing up fresh and smelling of laundry detergent made me not want to taint fond memories with new less desirable impressions. In other words, I’ve been there, done that, and didn’t feel a need to stick around. The upside is I that slept really well in the packed campground.
Lourdes is a very interesting place in a gorgeous setting situated at the base of the Pyrenees Mountains. The primary reason for the attraction to Lourdes is that a young girl experienced 18 visions of the Virgin Mary in a nearby Grotto during the year of 1858. The visions were confirmed as authentic by the Catholic Church and she was declared a Saint of sorts in 1933. Since the visions the Grotto has become a holy shrine with a spring flowing from it whose waters are believed to have miraculous healing qualities. Not only has the grotto become a shrine but the whole surrounding area is a sanctuary with cathedral and numerous other buildings. All set in a park like atmosphere.
After setting up camp I wandered over to the center of town. From there I followed signs marked “Grotto”. It wasn’t long before I found myself in the midst of tourist hell. Shop after shop of Virgin Mary paraphernalia, overpriced stores, and surely subpar eateries clog streets and walkways. The plastic Virgin Mary water bottles and the made in Italy Lourdes magnets caught my eye but I didn’t give in. Probably made by a mafia run company?
The shops were kind of interesting in a gaudy sort of way but I was more than happy to enter the confines of the sanctuary which reveal a much different atmosphere. The grounds are quite nice with no shops. Just a few stalls for candles and small water bottles with a place to deposit the suggested donation for the items. A large cathedral sits above the grotto and although lacking the mystic of other much older cathedrals it’s still quite impressive in a more modern sense.
I decided to visit the Grotto first and was lucky to find a short line. In no time I found myself entering the site. I allowed a hand to run across smooth stone walls polished by years and thousands, if not millions of visitors, as I passed through. From a natural beauty standpoint the grotto is nothing special but I will say there is definitely a strong feeling there. A vibe or energy of sorts. It's likely due to an impression left by so much attention given to the site but regardless there is something special going on.
Walking through the grotto doesn’t last long as attendants keep people moving. At the end I there are rows and rows of candle stalls with each candle being donated by visitors.
Afterwards I continued on to a wall of spigots that dispense the healing water that supposedly comes from the spring. I filled up my own liter sized container and a small glass souvenir bottle that I picked up for a 1 Euro donation. Many, many people were doing the same. All hoping that in some way they will receive a healing blessing of some sort.
The crowd of visitors is made up mostly of older people. Many arrive in wheel chairs and obviously have some serious health issues. At 44 I almost felt like a youngster. The youth of France is too busy smoking cigarettes in cafes and probably doesn’t have much interest yet. Most everyone on the grounds appeared western and or European but I was surprised to see a number of East Indians with woman dressed in traditional garb. Although the sanctuary and grotto are Catholic to the core all faiths are welcome to visit.
As I was walking amidst the Cathedral and admiring some impressive murals a crowd was forming outside. People began to sing and organize into a large parade. From a hilltop view outside the doors of the church I could see a mass of people moving. Leading the front was a large row of caregivers dressed in white followed by a large number in wheel chairs then thousands of others walking. Music and singing went on as the parade slowly moved towards exiting the grounds. At the end was a large group that appeared to be monks. I don’t know if the parade is a daily occurrence or just a Sunday happening but it was quite pleasant to watch and a substantial display of faith.
Are people really healed by visiting the Grotto? They say around 40 or so unexplained medically proven cures are a result of visiting Lourdes. The remedy varies depending on the individual. Some say it was praying there while others say it was drinking or bathing in the water. Who knows for sure? Regardless, I do believe there is a lot of power in faith and belief. That in of itself has been proven to do great and miraculous things.
I remember an old bible story where a woman was trying to get to Jesus so she could be healed. She got close enough to him so she could touch his clothing. He acknowledged her and responded by telling her to go. He then went on to say that it was her faith that healed her.
No comments:
Post a Comment