Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is a Catholic Marian shrine and pilgrimage site dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes in the town of Lourdes, Hautes-Pyrénées, France. The sanctuary includes several religious buildings and monuments around the grotto of Massabielle, the place where the events of the Lourdes apparitions occurred in 1858, among them are three basilicas, the Basilica of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the Rosary Basilica and the Basilica of St. Pius X, respectively known as the upper, lower and underground basilica.
The sanctuary is a destination for sick and disabled pilgrims as the Lourdes water, which has flowed from the grotto since the apparitions, is reputed for miraculous healings. The area is owned and administered by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tarbes-et-Lourdes, and has several functions, including devotional activities, offices, and accommodation for sick and disabled pilgrims and their helpers. In addition to the grotto and the three basilicas, the sanctuary includes fountains providing Lourdes water, baths for immersion in the water, an esplanade for processions, a calvary, the offices of the Lourdes Medical Bureau, and several places of worship in a area.
The sanctuary of Lourdes is one of the most-visited Catholic shrines in the world, with around four million tourists coming every year. The grotto of Massabielle, which is the most famous site in the sanctuary, has hundreds of replicas around the world, known as "Lourdes grottos".
History
The sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes began with the Marian apparitions to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858 in the town of Lourdes. On 11 February 1858, a 14-year-old peasant girl, called Bernadette Soubirous, said she saw a "lady" while playing near the grotto of Massabielle with her sister and a friend, on the left bank of the Gave de Pau river. The "lady" was standing on a rose bush in a niche above the main cavity of the Massabielle grotto.At the time of the apparitions, the grotto lay well outside town, on common ground which was used by the villagers variously for pasturing animals, collecting firewood, and as a garbage dump, and it had a reputation for being an unpleasant place.
Bernadette told her sister not to tell their parents about the apparition, but she told them anyway and their parents forbid them to go to the grotto again. Bernadette ignored their orders and kept going to the grotto. From 11 February to 16 July 1858, Bernadette saw the same vision 18 times. The "lady" eventually introduced herself to Bernadette as the Immaculate Conception, which had been proclaimed as a dogma for the Virgin Mary by Pope Pius IX in 1854. This convinced local priest Dominique Peyramale that Bernadette saw an authentic apparition of the Virgin Mary.
During the apparitions, Bernadette was given instructions by the "lady", which were to prove central in the development of the sanctuary and its ceremonies. Bernadette was told to go and drink water from a spring which was to appear inside the grotto and wash herself with it. She was also told to go and tell the priests to build a chapel at the grotto site where people were to come in procession.
During the months after the apparitions, public interest in the apparitions grew, and curious visitors began to be replaced by pilgrims from increasingly far away, drawn by compelling stories of apparitions and miracles.
Local priest Dominique Peyramale and local bishop Bertrand-Sévère Laurence bought the grotto and the land around it from the town of Lourdes in 1861, three years after the apparitions. Immediately they set about modifying the area to make it more accessible to pilgrims, and started work to build the first of the churches, which is now known as the "Crypt".
In 1864, the French sculptor Joseph-Hugues Fabisch was commissioned to create a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes based on Bernadette's descriptions. Although it has become an iconic symbol of Our Lady of Lourdes, it depicts a figure which is not only older and taller than Bernadette's description, but also more in keeping with orthodox and traditional representations of the Virgin Mary. The statue rests in the niche where the Virgin appeared to Bernadette. The original wild rose bush was destroyed shortly after the apparitions by pilgrims seeking relics, but a newer one has been planted nearby.
Due to French political upheaval resulting in an enforced separation of Church and State, the property and grounds of the sanctuary were confiscated from the Church and returned to the ownership of the town in 1910. The then bishop, François-Xavier Schoepfer, contested this confiscation and was permitted to rent the area of the sanctuary from the town until the outbreak of World War I in 1914.
Later, a visit to Lourdes by Marshal Pétain in 1941 provided official recognition of the sanctuary. Church officials successfully petitioned Pétain to allow the Church to reclaim ownership of the sanctuary.
Administration
The Bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes is responsible for the spiritual governance of the sanctuary. He appoints a local representative, who is called the rector. The sanctuary is run independently of the parish of Lourdes, which is responsible for the spiritual needs of the Lourdais themselves.Thirty full-time chaplains are employed in the sanctuary, from dioceses and religious communities worldwide. there were 292 full-time lay employees and a further 120 seasonal employees working in 63 different divisions, with an annual running budget of €18 million, 90% from donations.
The sanctuary is open all year round. In winter there are substantially fewer visitors, a reduced timetable of services and devotional activity, and no processions. The winter season runs from 1 November until Easter. On 11 February, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, a full programme of activities usually takes place.
The sanctuary is fully active between Easter and All Saints' Day each year, and has a programme of devotional activities including Mass, processions, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and the sacrament of reconciliation. Many activities are carried out in several languages; in some services the liturgy is repeated in different languages.
The grounds are open daily from 5 am until midnight; outside these times the grotto is accessible via the Lacets Gate behind the Upper Basilica.
An estimated 200 million people have visited the shrine since 1860. The Roman Catholic Church has officially recognized 72 miracle healings, the 72nd of which was the cure of Antonietta Raco, recognised on 16 April 2025.
Lourdes water
Lourdes water flows from a spring at the same spot where it was discovered by Bernadette, in the grotto of Massabielle. The original spring can be seen within the grotto, lit from below and protected by a glass screen. Pilgrims drink Lourdes water due to its reputed healing power. The water is accessed from individual taps located between the grotto and the baths. The water from Lourdes was thoroughly analysed by independent chemists in 1858 and 1859, and does not appear to have a latent power to cure and has no special scientific or medicinal properties, having been described as a placebo. Despite this, the water is itself a strong symbol of devotion for Lourdes pilgrims, and many buy statues and rosary beads containing small vials of it, and take home large plastic containers of it.Processions
Processions are held in the sanctuary, with the torchlight procession being perhaps the best-known and most visually impressive.Blessed Sacrament procession
The Blessed Sacrament procession is held daily at 5:00 pm. The procession begins at the open-air altar on the prairie across the river from the grotto and is led by sick pilgrims followed by a priest, bishop or cardinal carrying a monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament. Typically the bearer of the Blessed Sacrament is sheltered by a baldachin. The Blessed Sacrament is accompanied by candle bearers and incense burners. These ministers are chosen from the pilgrims. A representative group of doctors from the various pilgrimages follow directly behind the Blessed Sacrament, both during the procession and the Blessing of the sick. Lastly, there are groups of pilgrims, some following their parish or diocesan banner. The procession makes its way across the river, past the Crowned Virgin, along the esplanade and down into the St. Pius X underground basilica where pilgrims with disabilities are provided accommodations to access the altar. During the procession, there are meditations, prayers, hymns and chants, all in several languages. When all the participants are assembled, there is a period of Eucharistic adoration, followed by the Blessing of the Sick.During extreme weather conditions, the procession takes place inside the basilica.
Torchlight procession
The torchlight Marian procession takes place daily at 9 pm. It begins near the grotto and continues in the alleys of the esplanade ending in the Rosary square. In extreme weather an indoor ceremony may be held in the Underground Basilica instead. The procession is led by sick and disabled pilgrims followed by volunteers carrying a replica of the Cabuchet statue of the Virgin Mary. Most participants carry a candle.The focus of this procession is the rosary. All five decades are recited, usually in a variety of languages. The Immaculate Mary, the Lourdes hymn, is also sung, with verses in different languages. Intercessions may be invoked followed by the Laudate Mariam. There is a final blessing in Latin, and then an invitation to exchange the sign of peace with fellow pilgrims.
Basilicas
Upper Basilica
The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, commonly known as the "Upper Basilica", was consecrated in 1876. It is an impressive, elaborate building in Gothic style, designed by architect Hyppolyte Durand, and on one side seems to emerge directly from the rock of Massabielle. The walls are lined with ex voto plaques, and banners from official National Pilgrimages of the past. It has a series of stained-glass windows depicting various events in the story of Lourdes; the clerestory windows depict Mary as "the Second Eve".The exterior is dominated by a spire, and two lesser spires completed later in 1908. Above the entrance is a mosaic depicting Pope Pius IX, who defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in 1854.
The basilica has a crypt, which was the first church to be completed in the sanctuary, in 1866. Construction was started by Abbé Peyramale and bishop Laurence. Bernadette's father worked on its construction and was present at its official opening, on Pentecost Sunday 1866. The nave is small and a notable feature as are the enormous pillars which support the weight of the Upper Basilica, which was constructed on top of it.
The crypt is entered along a corridor, whose entrance is dominated by a large bronze statue of St. Peter, holding the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Opposite stands a statue of Pius X. The walls of the corridor and nave are lined with small marble plaques, known as ex voto plaques, donated in thanks for spiritual favours received.