Lourdes

 

Lourdes was an amazing place. We had mass in the morning celebrated in English and a young girl from India was confirmed. There were people from many parts of the world. The Bascillica was beautiful and was highly decorated and adorned. It had wide paths circling to the sides to represent Mary's stretched out arms encircling everyone. The gold crown on the top was donated from the Irish so if anyone has Irish heritage its quite possible there is a little of you represented in the gold crown. Many families donated gold some even their wedding rings. 

We also visited Bernadette's house, where she was born, the Chachot (old prison) where the family moved to after they became bankrupt. This is when the apparitions began to occur.

We had free time in the afternoon, we all drank and washed our faces in the water and some went in the baths. The grotto on the side where Mary appeared is open to walk through and touch the side and pray. Many lined up for this, some went to the underground Bascillica and learnt how to pray the rosary. It was a beautiful afternoon of lots of learning and finding out about Bernadette.

And of course we had baguettes and shopped for a while!!!

In the evening we attended a candle light procession where we walked through the whole area and prayed the rosary.