Lourdes

We are staying at Cite St. Pierre, an immense Catholic conference center filled with (mostly) French folks taking various workshops. They again have given us our own rooms. My room even has two balconies! 

When I checked in, it was explained to me that I could pay what I wished for a room and three meals a day. I paid my typical donativo, what most places charge for pilgrims, 30 Euro for half board. But this place is quite a departure from our usual place where we are housed in dormitories with 4 to 10 beds (even though we are always alone in the space) and a single toilet and shower for the lot, usually far away. I have a twin room with an accessible bathroom to myself and two balconies, one with tables and chairs. 

Everyone is happy here, as in most of the churches we've stayed in. I think people are just happy to be in this sanctuary where all their meals are taken care of and they are in a holy area.

Meanwhile at the Grotte and the area around the Miracle, it is alternately bustling and sad. There are volunteers, dressed in special nun-like uniforms (women) and sweater and slacks for men. Most are young and beautiful and their job is to transport the old and disabled around the properties. There is the opportunity to bathe in the holy waters and it is the volunteers who help them get there, and presumably anywhere else they want to go.

There are two churches and one chapel (at least) stacked on top of each other, all on top of the sacred Grotte. This is a theme now, the church within a church, the church on top of a church.

Notre Dame Basilica on top, Sanctuary on the bottom

Front view

Some detail


Inside the sanctuary

There are faucets against the walls where pilgrims can fill their special plastic Lourdes water bottles. I found one empty, but had no container, so slurped the special water into my mouthwith hands.

An empty holy water faucet

Gathering holy water

The Grotte itself, where Bernadette experienced the miracle, was easy to experience ...a short line and a shallow cave, the spring itself behind glass, but the pilgrims all touched the walls to suck up some of the magic.

The Grotte from outside, lines to go in


The water inside the grotto

At the baths, pilgrims waited to be doused in the holy water. Here I felt a heaviness, a concentrated piece of human suffering, and a reminder of the purpose of this place: healing and cessation of pain. While the rest of the area was joyful --- whether in wheelchair or a young attendant --the baths are a distillation of life's tragedies.

Waiting area for healing bath

Aside. From all of this, or maybe because of, the place reminds me of a spiritual Disney world. Perhaps the joy of pilgrims in making it here is similar to the arrival at Disney world. Did Disney rip off the Catholic Church or is a good idea a good idea? Is the ability to conjure hope, thus creating joy what both are about? There is probably some truth here and it makes me sad. I'm sadder for the Disney hope because there is no meaning assigned, but then what is Lourdes ? I like to think there is some truth underneath the tourist shops and church pomp and circumstance, and certainly many people volunteer their time to the less fortunate here, so at least on the basis of intention, Lourdes is okay by me.

Many candle pavilions, some giant, human sized

The procession of those who want to be healed.