24 hour Pilgrimage to Lourdes, France
Lourdes, France - May 28th-29th
Grotto at the Sanctuary of Lourdes
On the final day of my “Pentecost break” from school, I took a short trip to Lourdes.
The main reason for visiting Lourdes was that the Grotto at University of Notre Dame (in Indiana) was based on the one in Lourdes, so it holds a special place in my heart. I always wanted to see the original, and I would often sit at the Grotto in college telling myself I would visit the one in France one day; it felt really fulfilling to accomplish that goal.
Really, only a 22 hour pilgrimage because my original train was cancelled because of train strikes! Yet, I arrived around 6:30 and fully took advantage of the evening. I dropped my bags at the hotel and headed straight to the Lourdes Sanctuary (after a couple of detours since I was using an old-school paper map).
Saint Michel Gates to the Lourdes Sanctuary
Grounds at the entrance of the Lourdes Sanctuary
When I saw the gates with the castle-like basilica in the background, it honestly made me think of Disneyland. A Catholic Disneyland. I made it to the Grotto, which is nestled under the basilica and across from the river, just in time for the candlelit processional. It was a lovely multilingual service that made me think about how religion can unite people all over the world with all different languages.
Candle-lit processional at the Grotto
After the service, I approached the grotto and without even thinking, I started singing Notre Dame’s Alma Mater, “Notre Dame, Our Mother”, and it brought tears to my eyes because I felt so at home in this new place. It was truly a beautiful and peaceful place to me. I love traveling, but this made me reflect on how grateful I am to have been part of Notre Dame’s community, one that makes me miss it so much.
After the service, I lit some candles in the chapel. I was a little carried away by the beauty of the place, I accidentally stayed past France’s COVID curfew of 9pm. Though I was a little worried about getting a fine or something for staying past the curfew, I am so glad I had the opportunity to spend some peaceful time there without many other people around, as it was quite busy the next day.
Day 2
The next day, the forecasted looked like rain in the afternoon so I though I would head first to the funicular at Pic du Jer. This funicular is the second oldest one in France! It was put there to enjoy the stunning views of Lourdes and the Pyrenees mountains. There were a lot of mountain bikers who used it to ascend the peak and ride down. At the top, I enjoyed the stunning views though it was a bit cloudy.
View of Lourdes from Pic du Jer on a cloudy day
I also did a tour of the caves at Pic du Jer, which I learned is a mountain made of limestone, unlike the many granite ones in the area. The tunnel had been carved in the 1950s to connect a series of chasms and caverns. An underground waterfall helps geologists to study how the water moves underground through the mountains.
Afterwards, I returned to the sanctuary for a tour (that due to Covid was not actually ocurring). The main basilica is currently closed for restoration but it is actually stacked on top of another basilica that was still absolutely breathtaking. I wish I could have seen the other one, I am sure it would have been even more spectacular. There is a third basilica underground, but the architecture is more modern and uninviting.
I saw a few people outfitted in trekking gear, and learned that this is actually a possible stop on the Camino de Santiago, the French Way.
Catholic or not, I highly recommend a visit to Lourdes. The Sanctuary is a beautiful and peaceful place. There’s a lot of natural activities to do in the area of the Pyrenees too. And the people of Lourdes seem to be very nice!!!
