LOURDES, KNOW BEFORE YOU GO!

LOURDES, KNOW BEFORE YOU GO!

In 1858, the blessed mother appeared to a poor peasant girl named Bernardet Subaru in southern France, declaring herself as the immaculate conception. And this was four years after the Catholic Church had declared and affirmed the Marian dogma of that tradition of the immaculate conception. Lord’s France is a place of prayer, wonder, healing, miracles, pilgrimage, meditation, and mystery. And in this video, we’re going to share with you some things that you should know before you go to make for a wonderful pilgrimage while there and be sure that you can take in all the sites within that sanctuary of Lord’s France. We are Dennis and Min. Come join us on our traveling adventures around the world. [Music] Welcome to the Higher Power Travel Channel. And before we get into our video about Lords, Min and I wanted to thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for having us reach a milestone recently of surpassing 1,000 subscribers. And it has taken us just over a year uh for that to happen. And it’s uh pretty organic. We didn’t really um push this out or pay people to subscribe. Uh, so, uh, we just wanted to put out these videos and share our experiences and hope that it helps some people along the way. And the fact that we have over a thousand of you watching, uh, that really means a lot to us. And so, we thank you for all of your support and for those of you that have been with us from the very beginning, even more so. So, if you’re one of those people watching right now that haven’t subscribed, please do so so we can keep connected and hit the notification bell so we can let you know when we have other travel videos coming out. Also, we appreciate you liking and commenting on what we are sharing about. So, for starters, Min and I are Catholic and we have been to many uh pilgrimage sites. We’ve done the Camino and we’ve been to Fatima. We’ve been to Majugoria and Rome and uh we’ve really um enjoyed experiencing these places of pilgrimage. And I’d have to say Lords is probably one of my personal favorites. I’ve been a longtime fan of St. Bernardet who Mother Mary had appeared to in 1858. Um, I’ve read a lot about her and the apparitions and it’s a place that continues to evolve because yes, there’s not only these um, modern miracles that continue to occur to this day and investigations into these uh, miraculous occurrences, but it’s also a place of pilgrimage and prayer. So, people go there and are reinvigorated with their faith. they are going back to the church, returning to the sacraments, going back to mass, reading scripture again, maybe after many years of a long absence. So there’s all these other fruits that are continuing to take place in many places around the world, but especially in Lords is no exception. So as much as I would like to share about more specifics about the apparitions to St. Bernardet of the um blessed mother who proclaimed herself as the immaculate conception. Uh and the messages that she shared with St. Bernardet for the world, I’m not going to get into that. All of that information is online. Um so, as much as we would like to take the time to talk about those things, we’re going to keep this primarily anformational video if you’re planning a trip to Lords and what to do, where to go, and all the specifics. Now, I will share that if you’re going with a tour group, that is great. And chances are all of the logistics are probably going to be taken care of for you. The hotels that you’re going to stay at, the restaurants that you’re going to eat at, um maybe you’re going to be able to um have private masses. So, all of that is great. And so this uh information that I’m going to be sharing with you, I think will be beneficial, but it’s going to be especially beneficial if you are traveling there solo by yourself or with your family or with a small group of friends and not necessarily with an organized uh pilgrimage group. So located in southern France, actually southwestern France, you’re going to find this small town of Lords. And it’s a charming village um kind of at the base of the Pyrenees Mountains. It’s really a even if you’re not religious, uh it’s a beautiful place to visit and experience. Um but if you’re not religious, I think you would probably walk away feeling that uh something pretty special is happening there and has happened there. So um for that reason, I it has just a lot of natural beauty. Um like a lot of places in southern France, of course. Um, but uh definitely if you’re planning a trip there, uh, a few hours is really not enough. Like a lot of these other pilgrimage sites, uh, Marian apparition locations, you can’t just see it all in a few hours. So, I would definitely recommend at least two full days in Lords. One day, you’re not going to have enough time to see all that there is to see and do. So, really hoping that you can allocate at least 2 to three days in Lords. And this information that I’m going to be sharing with you will allow you that time to do everything at a very easy pace without having to feel rushed. Because when you’re going to a place like Lord’s, a place of meditation, a place of prayer, a place of pilgrimage, you shouldn’t be rushing around going from one place to the next. Right? So with that, we’re going to get right into things that you need to know before you go. Know before you go. Parking. All right. When you go to Lords, uh they do have some free parking areas, but they’re not really close to the sanctuary where most everything is that you need to see and do. So, yes, you can get there, but uh if you get there too late in the day, you’re probably not going to have much success in finding those um parking spaces available. You can try, but uh they are a long walk. And the other option would be to just park as close to the sanctuary as you can. Uh there are specified places where you can park, but uh they are paid parking areas. So just note that you’ll have to uh find these little parking stations and you can go ahead and put in your euro for however many hours you want to stay there. And then from that you can go ahead and um get the little ticket that you are issued from that parking station and put that on your dashboard and that lets the uh attendants that go around checking on the cars uh know how long that you are good to stay there until. All right, the next item know before you go is you should head to the information center. Yes. So you’re going to have a lot of good information there. The people are very helpful. Chances are they’re going to speak English as well. And what they’ll be able to provide to you is a map also the locations of where things are located and also you’ll be able to get the times of the masses depending upon what language you speak. Uh they have different masses and different chapels and basilas throughout the day. And again, if you have your own pilgrimage group that you’re going there with, they might have already pre-arranged those kind of uh details. But if you are just showing up, uh you’re going to want to know where you can hear a mass in your language. So definitely check out the information center and also there they have a film that is shown at least once or twice every day on the life of St. Bernardet. Would highly recommend that. Gives you a nice overview about her life story. Now, I’m not going to show detailed maps of where these buildings and places are because when you go to the information center there, they’ll have a map for you. And so, um, I’m just going to share with you the names of these places so that way you’ll know exactly, uh, what to ask for and where it’s located on the map when you’re there. So, if you are going to Lords on pilgrimage, uh, or if you are Catholic, you want to typically start out your time there with going to mass. And it’s also a good idea if you haven’t been in a while to go to confession prior to going to the mass. So there is a uh place where they offer confessions in various languages. that is uh on the north side of the visitor center um across the esplanade and there’s a series of buildings there and one says confession I think on the outside and it uh is going to be on the second floor and there’s people that will be there to assist you to help you get coordinated with the right um priest who would speak your language and then when we were there uh there was uh a chapel St. um Cosmos and Damian that is also on the second floor of a nearby building. I think it’s the next building over. But I also heard recently that the English mass is now being held in a different chapel and that that chapel is called Mur Doarosa Chapel. So that is in another area of the sanctuary. So again when you are there uh the English masses which are held every day may be in the same or a different location. So another reason to visit the visitor center. Another no before you go would be that there is a free guided tour that is about 3 hours in length that’s offered I think every day. Uh and so there are various languages that that tour is held at and that is going to be starting at the information center every day and it takes you through the um area where Bernardet grew up in her homes where she was when she uh was a little girl where her dad worked and also when the apparitions began uh where she lived in this former prison cell known as the Kasho and also the hospital that she uh worked in after the apparitions had occurred and where she um became more educated as well. And along the way, you also go through the museum there in Lords uh which has a lot of uh interesting history and uh also artifacts from that time period, writings of St. Bernardet and so on. Uh the only thing is that you kind of go through relatively quick because you’re with this tour group. Unfortunately, um we didn’t have enough time to to take in the museum separately on our own. I really wish uh we would have made more time to do that. So again, there’s a lot to see and do there. Um so I would recommend doing the museum outside of the tour group as well because again you’re going to be limited to um how long you can stay inside and they kind of go, you know, on to the next thing. So, it’s a great guided tour. Uh we had a wonderful uh American sister who was there volunteering and who provided a lot of great information. But again, they do have uh these tours also going on simultaneously in uh Spanish and French and other languages. So, be sure to check with the information center again there for um the details on the languages and the times that they start the tours. Know before you go that a lot of things are free in Lords. Um, that was one thing that surprised me, you know, going to Fatima. They have a museum in Fatima that is one or two euros. I mean, it’s a nominal amount and we’re happy to pay that. Um, and that’s something that you almost expect, you know, to do anywhere, right? There there’s a museum, uh, to have to pay a nominal amount. U, but, um, Lords, like I was surprised the tour, the guided tour, there’s no fee. The uh cost to enter the museums are free. Um the holy water, the spring water from Lords is free. Don’t let anybody ever sell you holy water or water from Lords. Uh that’s a big big no no in the Catholic world. Although I think some people think that that happens and does go on. But no, nobody should be selling much less buying holy water. So, um having said that, it was a nice surprise that uh a lot of these uh things that you would be taking in um over there are um of no charge um except the parking if you’re parking close to the sanctuary. And they do have offering boxes all all around, you know, outside the chapels, inside chapels, uh where you can make donations, of course. So, um it’s completely um um optional and um so yeah, it was just nice to see that uh there’s no cost for these and if you want again make a donation uh to any of these um tour guides and anywhere else around the sanctuary um you’re able to do that. Another no before you go is that there is a miraculous museum and a museum of the miraculously healed. And these are located in the um second floor of the John Paul II building which is on the north end of the esplanade adjacent to the river which is again just um across the north side of the visitor center there. And inside you will find a lot of detailed information about these miracles that have occurred uh mostly because of those people that have bathed or come in contact with the miraculous water from Lords. Now, there’s been 72 approved miracles from the Vatican, church approved miracles, although the number is expected to be probably in the thousands of people that have been cured of various ailments and diseases um from this water from Lords that first sprang forth during one of Bernardet’s last apparitions where there was no water before that water sprang forth and has been flowing ever since. And so um some say it has these miraculous properties. Now it is just water. So as Christians we believe that any and all healing would come from the source from the power of uh Jesus Christ who has that power to heal. So but these miracles have been um scrutinized by the Catholic Church over the over the last almost 50 years now. And so these museums go into detail about the process of authenticating these miracles. And as an example, the most recent miracle that took place there involved almost or just over 300 doctors from all over um all different types of doctors um where they unanimously conclude that there is no explanation to how this person healed. And uh one of the other criteria is that any healing that takes place in lures or from the water in lures is that it has to be immediate. They have to have been a complete mess or had this serious problem or disease one moment and then the next moment after um coming in contact with the water for example immediately after they are completely healed and in full remission for the remainder of their life. Meaning that this disease this ailment whatever was causing them ill does not ever come back. And so before they will approve any miracle, 10 years has to go by for them to be completely um uh disease-free or whatever their ailment was, there has to be 10 years. So all along the way, they’re getting checked out by doctors and being interviewed and you know probably a lot of bureaucracy, but there’s a lot of detail that goes into explaining uh this process at these museums. So, it’s I find it pretty fascinating and it has every single person’s um situation documented with their pictures, most of their pictures over the years um that have been cured. And uh the reason a lot of people um haven’t come forth and and gotten this um their miracle approved by the church is they just don’t want to take the time and energy to go through all that’s necessary for the church to approve their miraculous healing. for the individual, they’re just happy like they know something miraculous happened to them and they’re grateful for that and they don’t want to have to like keep checking back with doctors every 6 months for the next 10 years um and go through all of that. So u many people have of course uh and if those things lift up and increase one’s faith that’s great but of course nobody has to believe or is obligated to believe that these miracles are actually happening but the scientific evidence is there. uh that these things simply cannot be explained that have occurred to these people that had serious serious uh ailments and um dramatic dramatic healings instantaneously. So know before you go there are actually four basilas in the sanctuary of lords. So the first one that I’m going to talk about is the first one that was built and that is called the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception which again is what the blessed mother referred to herself as during her apparition to St. Bernardet. And so she asked that a church be built in her honor. And so that church was first built uh that construction began in 1866. So that was just about 8 years after the apparitions had occurred. And that is a neo gothic uh architecture. And there’s also a lower basilica which is the basilica of the rosary that was uh built in 1883. Uh the style is Roman Byzantine. So they are kind of attached to each other one on top of the other. And there is also a third basilica that was built in 1956 and that is the Basilica of St. pious and that is actually made of um concrete and that was built in 1956 to accommodate large gatherings uh international gatherings and when it can hold up to 25,000 people and when they have a eukaristic procession every day uh it is where uh in this basilica where they end that procession and have adoration of the blessed sacrament. And then there’s also a fourth and newer basilica in Lords. And this is called the Basilica of St. Bernardet that is located across the grotto across the river. You’ll see a statue of St. Bernardet which is the location of where she had her last apparition of the blessed mother. And it is near this location where they built this outdoor basilica to again also accommodate large gatherings. And it is at this location where the processions typically will begin. Now there are as I mentioned other chapels in and around the sanctuary of lords. And also I just wanted to mention that inside the basilica of the rosary uh they also have I think it’s an additional 15 smaller chapels uh where they will have uh masses uh private masses again when there’s u uh tour groups sometimes they will have a dedicated chapel for a priest to have mass for their specific group. So during the day of course they’re going to have masses at these various basilas. uh you’re in France, so don’t be surprised if the masses are in French. Uh so again, going back to the information center, if you are looking for a mass in your respective language, be sure to ask them there and they can tell you at what times in which chapel or basilica uh you can attend mass in your language. Know before you go, the grotto. Now, we’ve talked about a lot of things so far in the sanctuary of Lords, but uh one of the biggest attractions there, of course, is the grotto. This is the area where blessed mother, referring to herself as the immaculate conception, um appeared to Bernardet Subaru when she was a 14-year-old girl. And so, this is the exact location. There’s actually a statue of Mary up on the rocks where you can see where this um original apparition took place. And there’s also um a area um surrounding that with um benches where people can pray and meditate as well. Now the grotto is important because this is where on one of the the final uh apparitions to Bernardet uh Mary had asked her to dig in the ground and people thought she was crazy. Um she was digging in the dirt and wiping the dirt on her face. Um she was told that uh there was going to be uh water there and there was no water there. So all these people that were there watching her dig in the dirt were laughing at her and they thought she was crazy. Well, shortly thereafter, water began to flow from that place where she was digging. And that spring has been flowing ever since. And it was uh maybe that day or the next day, um a lady that believed in these apparitions of Bernardet had a baby with a very high fever. um probably was concerned for their um you know whether this child was going to survive the night. So she took the baby to this uh newly discovered spring and bathed the baby in this water and instantly the baby was cured and was fine. So thus began the realization that these waters may have healing properties. And so that’s why people to this day go there from all around the world um in hopes of a cure and if not a physical cure perhaps a um spiritual um awakening and um realization and acceptance of their their their situation, their suffering, their ailment and uh so people go there all the time for the um to touch and be in contact with the spring water. So, um, so this is where that spring was located. And so there’s, uh, sometimes a little bit of a line that is flowing pretty consistently through this area of the rock where, um, it’s kind of a cave where, uh, the blessed mother appeared. And below you have this area where the spring first emerged. And now that water flows into um other areas where you can fill up uh bottles and other containers with this holy water to take with you take uh with you back home and share that with others. And so that’s why you see people filling up their waters uh uh glasses um for uh that purpose of sharing the water from lords with others. So uh do note that when you are there that it is a place of silence. It is also a place of meditation and prayer. So it is uh important that you be very quiet when you are approaching that area around the spring and the statue of Mary. Uh they consider that a very holy and reverent place. So people should not be wearing hats. Uh you should be dressed appropriately just like you’re going to church. And um you are uh can bring objects with you to touch along the rock and um that you aren’t allowed to stop and stay there and take pictures with yourself and selfies. You know, it is a place to be respected. So they do have people there um ushers that will make sure that people are moving along so that the line continues and people aren’t holding up the line by taking selfies and doing silly things that we do. So, also just beyond the grotto, if you go on a little bit further, is an area where the baths are or the pools. And these are areas dedicated for people that want to completely immerse themselves in the spring water of Lurge. So, they um actually have uh times of the day where that is allowed. It’s free. You don’t have to pay. And uh there’s people that can assist you with that process of bathing in the waters from Lords. And um there is a line uh that usually forms uh before they open up. So just know that you might have to wait a little bit. So it’s first come first serve and if you u we didn’t do that ourselves, but if you really want to go ahead and u experience that full immersion, they make that possible for you there. Another no before you go is that like most other Marian shrines and pilgrimage locations, there are no shortage of restaurants and cafes and gift shops. So you’ll find all of those there around the sanctuary of Lords. Um one thing that I found which was nice is that like I’ve seen in Mesagoria and Fatima, uh the prices for food at restaurants, cafes are very reasonable. You would think in such a place where there’s a high number of tourists and and pilgrims that they’d be um you know kind of inflating the prices, but I found that the prices are relatively the same as other areas outside of the sanctuary. So that is good to see. And they do have a wide variety of um gifts at the gift shop from, you know, relatively inexpensive items to pretty high quality things. Uh and then you can also uh make sure that you get any uh items blessed uh by a priest that uh there’s no shortage of priest that you can find around there. Um or when you get back to your uh home. Uh but usually at the end of every mass there uh the priest will do a general blessing of holy objects. Uh having also said that that if you’re going to restaurants, cafes, note that uh it’s usually pretty safe if you’re a non-smoker to eat I’m sorry to eat inside of a restaurant. uh it’ll be smoke-free and generally speaking outside any outdoor whether it’s a cafe or restaurant smoking is allowed. So if you’re a non-smoker and you sit outside there’s a chance um probably a high chance that somebody will come next to you and be smoking. So um that’s just how life in Europe is as we found it. Um but other otherwise it’s a very pleasant experience. Another no before you go is if you have any kind of disease or ailment or if you’re wheelchair bound or you need any kind of special assistance, uh you should definitely contact the information center and uh the sanctuary of Lords prior to your visit because they want to make your stay as comfortable as possible. So they have people that volunteer there all the time for that purpose to help people that have difficulty getting around. Uh so you can feel um completely, you know, um secure knowing that there’s going to be people to help you get around. So next before you go is that there’s generally two processions that take place every single day year round in the sanctuary of lords. One is the eukaristic procession and check with the information center. But if I’m not mistaken, both processions begin at the Basilica of St. Bernardet, which is the outdoor Basilica um is going to be where the grotto is. It’s going to be right across the river. There’s a bridge that you can go and there’s an outdoor sanctuary there. That’s a basilica where the procession begins. And the uh eucharistic procession is just that. So the priest is going to um be carrying the monstrance with the blessed eucharist, holy eucharist uh through the um sanctuary of lords. And so everybody gathers for that and there’s songs and hymns that are sung and prayers along the way. And that actually will go to the sanctuary and end up at the basilica of St. pious. And the first time I went to Lords, I didn’t even know this basilica existed because it’s underground. So this uh the ending of the eukaristic procession will end up underground in this basilica that can hold 25,000 people. And so that’s where they finish the eukaristic procession and then they have adoration. And so um that’s a no before you go. Don’t miss going to that eukaristic procession and checking out the St. Pius Basilica. Now, getting to the evening candle light procession. So, it depends on the time of the year that you are there. Of course, if you’re in the summer months, it stays light pretty late. So, again, check with the information center on what times these uh processions begin. The eukaristic procession is generally in the late afternoon and in the um uh early evening 8:30 I think it was when we were there uh is when they have the uh evening candle light procession. Now where do you get your candles? So they do sell the candles for nominal amounts um in and around that area around the grotto and also where the um St. Basilica of St. Bernardet is, but it’s a little bit cheaper to get the candles outside of the sanctuary at most any of the gift shops will sell them for less than what you would pay for them in the sanctuary. So, little tip there to save you some money. And um then you also have the ability to um have your candles lit and then they also pray the rosary during that candle light procession and are singing hymns uh along the way. Now, a little tip is that it’s great to take part in that candle light procession in the evening. It’s beautiful, but it’s a wonderful site if you are up above at the um Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. They have a lookout there. It gets kind of busy, so if you want to, you know, be right in the front to get a good uh view, you have to get there a little bit early before the procession starts. But from up there, you have these amazing, uh, views of the procession taking place with all the, you know, people that have their candles lit. So, pretty cool experience. But, um, if you’re there for two nights or more, then I would recommend doing one night in the procession and one night maybe up above at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. So, I just wanted to clarify a couple of things as well. If you weren’t aware, like I said before, I’m a big fan of St. Bernardet. I’ve read a lot about her. And if you didn’t know, um the reason she became a saint is not because the blessed mother appeared to her. No, the reason she became a saint was because of the exemplary life that she led like is typically the case with anybody that is declared a saint. Uh she was very sick as a child um very uneducated and um when she uh the apparitions completed uh shortly thereafter she did join the convent of Ne and became a nun there and worked there but her ailments continued to get worse and deteriorate and it was quite a while before she let on that anybody there in the convent knew in the mother superior that she had such a serious uh disease. And so she went around uh uh conducting her daily task and prayers without any uh complaining without mentioning any of this. And so it was years and years that had gone by. I mean she died young. I think she was in her 30s when she died. Um but a long time had gone by before uh anybody realized just how serious her affliction was. And when she had died, um, uh, people recognized that, wow, for her to to live the life that she did in such a way, uh, was pretty incredible. And, um, you can actually go visit St. Bernardet’s, uh, casket to this day. It’s a glass casket in Ne’s, France. I’ve been there and it’s an incredible experience. And her body is incorrupt. So, she’s been dead um, almost 150 years. And it looks as if she’s just sleeping there in the casket. Pretty remarkable. And that’s very um not unusual in the Catholic Church where there’s many people, many saints um that whose bodies have been preserved um just as God’s way of showing humanity that these people were really truly unique and great examples to try to uh live by. So uh you can see St. Bernardet’s um casket to this day and her body that is um still incorrupt. And um so it is the life that she led that is uh the reason why she became a saint. We thank you so much for watching this video of Lords. We’ve been having a lot of fun making it. And please like and subscribe and help us to get to that 2,000 3,000 4,000 number so we can continue to grow our channel and reach more people around the world. So thanks so much for watching. Take care. Happy travels and see you next time.

Lourdes, France is visited annually by six million visitors annually and is one of the most popular Marian Shrines known around the world. Whether you are planning a visit with an organized tour group or traveling on your own, we believe you will find this informative video helpful in making sure your next visit to Lourdes is prayerful and meaningful while at the same time, comprehensive.

Discover the modern miracles that continue to occur at Lourdes and learn why the spring water from Lourdes is valued by so many. The Virgin Mary proclaimed herself as the Immaculate Conception at this location to a young peasant girl named Bernadette Soubirous in 1858. Meditate on the meaning and messages from the Virgin Mary as you walk in the footsteps of St. Bernadette.

Also in this video we will share everything you need to know about the Museums, Basilica’s and Grotto where the Blessed Mother appeared to Bernadette.

Please check out our other Know Before You Go on the Fatima Marian Shrine here:

Let us know about your visit to Lourdes in the Comments and we appreciate you Subscribing and Sharing this content.

Peace & Love,
Dennis and Min