Pilgrimage to Lourdes
There is ongoing debate over whether the United States should adopt the metric system. Myself, and probably the other 80+ pilgrims, have become advocates of this switch after confusion with conversion between miles and kilometers had some of us walking 15-24 miles (depending on the group) instead of the original 10 miles (15 for those who wanted to walk all the way to Lourdes and not drive the last leg!). That’s almost the distance of walking a marathon! Throughout these miles however, we certainly grew to appreciate the companionship of each other on pilgrimage.
Our day started with breakfast at 7:45 am followed by Lauds (morning prayer) at the Monastery in Nay. We left with our water bottles full, our backpacks ready for any weather condition, and began our 10-15 mile walking pilgrimage to Lourdes at 9:30 am. We hiked through the picturesque countryside that is Southern France, and we were blessed with clear skies and bright sunshine. The sunshine grew more intense throughout the trek and we were all thirsty. Lucky for us we passed a French home in what seemed like the middle of nowhere, and a kind woman allowed all 80+ pilgrims to fill our water bottles with her hose. I can’t imagine her surprise at seeing so many young Americans shepherded by two religious sisters, voluntarily walking to Lourdes!
Towards the end of what we assumed was our 10 miles leg of the journey, we were starving and it seemed like we were never going to make it to our spot for lunch until we finally arrived at 2:30 pm. What we did not realize at this point was that all the pilgrims had actually walked 14 miles! It wasn’t until the end of the pilgrimage that we calculated the correct mileage, but our bodies were definitely feeling the distance. Because pilgrims in Group A only got to experience Lourdes for one day, Fr. Anthony arranged for a bus to drive some of us to Lourdes along with the majority of exhausted pilgrims. About 25 of us decided to walk the last leg of the pilgrimage because we would have more time in the week at Lourdes, and we naively believed there was only 6 miles left. Little did we know it would be more than 10 miles!
We started off again in high spirits and walking at a faster pace with less breaks than our first walk. We were determined to make it to Lourdes before 6:30pm Mass at the Basilica of the Rosary. But our legs began to feel more achey, our sunburns more red (despite layers of sunscreen) and we wondered how many blisters we might have at the end of the walk. Moreover, by the time it hit 6:30 pm, we were still walking and missing the first part of Mass because we took a wrong turn! Then, like a beacon in the distance emerged the tip of the Basilica and half jogging,half hobbling we dashed into Mass. We were able to receive the Eucharist with much gratitude that we made it just in time.
After Mass, we walked to the Grotto where St. Bernadette saw the Virgin Mary (*) We ran our fingers over the stone Grotto where water miraculously appeared, filled our water bottles with its healing water and prayed. The pilgrimage made our arrival at Lourdes so much more meaningful and every bit worth the discomfort . It also allowed us to reflect on the conversations we shared with one another along the way, the beautiful landscape we witnessed, and a greater appreciation for having healthy bodies that could walk the distance for Christ even when we don’t know the road ahead of us. Our night ended with dinner among Groups A,B,C, and Service Team completed by a Marian procession behind the backdrop of the Basilica outlined by a purple sunset.
Jesus’s last words on the cross, “Behold your Mother” (John 19:27) point to Mary as our spiritual mother, the one whose sole purpose is to lead us closer to her son Jesus. I couldn’t help but feel closer to Jesus as we watched people from all over the world praying the Rosary in different languages- witnessing such a tangible sign of the body of Christ and seeing the unity within His Church. I felt grateful I would be spending the next 5 days in Lourdes with group C to ponder the greater mystery that is Mary and the pilgrimage that brought us there.
If you are interested in the story of Saint Bernadette and Our Lady of Lourdes click here!
http://www.wordonfire.org/resources/blog/10-things-to-know-about-our-lady-of-lourdes-and-st-bernadette/2209/
