Lourdes

www.lourdes-france.org

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MAGAZINE

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Tourism Office
www.lourdes-infotourisme.com

Patrimoine des sanctuaires

For your stay

Lourdes is the largest hotel town in France outside Paris
3 4-star Hotels - 271 rooms
62 3-star Hotels - 6 867 rooms
120 2-star Hotels - 6 496 rooms
37 1 -star Hotels - 885 rooms
44 Tourism Hotels (no star) - 823 rooms
13 Camp sites - 884 places * Furnished Accommodation is available in Lourdes and in local villages.

Contacts

Office de Tourisme de Lourdes
Place Peyramale - BP 17 65101 LOURDES Cedex Tél. (33) 5 62 42 77 40 Fax (33) 5 62 94 60 95

Sanctuaire Notre-Dame de Lourdes
1, avenue Mgr Theas 65108 LOURDES Cedex Tél. (33) 5 62 42 78 78 Fax (33) 5 62 42 78 77

History and Message

• It was the events that occured on 11th february 1858 that drastically changed the future of Lourdes. On that day a young girl of 14 yeurs, Bernardette Soubirous, a child of a poor family of four children whose father was a ruined miller, went with her sister and another girl to gather wood along the banks of the River Gave. Above an open cave, Bernadette saw a "Beautiful lady" ; she appeared to her 18 times between 11th february, the "Lady" said to Bernadette : "Penance ! Pray for the conversion of sinners" ; the following day, she asked her to go and drink at the spring and to wash herself there ; but at the thirteen apparition her woods, recounted by Bernadette in the local dialect, were to be decisive for the future of Lourdes ; "Go, tell the priest to build a chapel here and come here in precession". It was not until the sixteenth Apparition on 25th march that the "Lady" revealed herself : "I am the Immaculate Conception". At each Apparition the number of witnesses grew, at first in tens then by hundreds. On 18th january 1862, the Bishop of Tarbes, Mgr. Laurence, gave the judgement of the church : "The Virgin Mary has truly appeared to Bernadette Soubirous". Pilgrimage were recognised.

• From the end of march to end of october, the Sanctuary of Lourdes expériences exuberant and continuons activity. Pilgrimages from all nations live and cooperate together there and follow one another according to a definite calendar.
• 11 th. february, the anniversary of the first Apparition, is the great teast of Our Lady of Lourdes, which has been proclaimed the World Day of Prayer for the Sick by Pope John-Paul Il to signify the spiritual life of Lourdes.
• All the religions feasts and especially the Feast of the Assumption attract huge crowds to Lourdes.

• At the edge of the Pyrenees mountain range, spreads out around its fortified castle proudly situated on a rocky peak. Today this ancient fortress invites the visitor to discover an exceptional museum of art and popular tradition of the Pyrenees : The Pyrenean Museum.
• To understand Lourdes is of course to understand the life of Bernadette. By visiting the Boly Mill, the Cachot, the Parish Church and the many museums in the town you can walk in her footsteps.
• Nature is also very close : You can take part in the activities at the Lake of Lourdes - use a pedalo, go jogging, go mountain biking or play golf.
• Lourdes is also a tourism base for travelling into the Pyrenees : many excursions are available for visits to the picturesque villages of the "Lourdes Countryside", as well as to places like the Pyrenees National Park, cirque of Gavarnie or the Pic du Midi de Bigorre. Los alrededores turisticos.

• Masses : Availables in all languages on the daily timetable (9:00 am daily in English) or the pilgrimage timetable. There are on average sixty six Masses each day in forty places of worship available in the Sanctuary. The International Mass is celebrated at 9:00 am each Sunday and Wednesday during the season, in the Basilica of st Pius X which can accomadate 30 000 faithful.
• While the medical Bureau of Lourdes has only recognised a limited number of "miracles" this is the word which, throughout the world, is associated with Lourdes and undoubtely explains why, after Paris, Lourdes is the best known French town troughout the world. Today the universality of Lourdes is confirmed a little more each with the arrival of pilgrims from distant countries.
• Official pilgrimages and organised groups remain in Lourdes four or five days, which explains such a large development of the hotel industry. In the busy pilgrimage timetable the most important place is the Grotto of the Apparitions where many ceremonies take place, the remarkable Way of the Cross with its life-like statues, the Baths, the water taps which supply water from the Spring in the Grotto, the Ministry of reconciliation is very important in Lourdes, the famous Processions which take place daily - the Blessed Sacrement Procession each afternoon and the Torchlight Marian Procession eacj evening.
• The "One Day Pilgrim" Service (meet at the Crown Statue 8:30 am each day from 1st july to 15th september) provides pilgrims who are on their own with a pilgrimage experience trough an introduction to the Message of Lourdes, Mass, Way of the cross, visit in the footsteps of Bernadette and attendance at the Processions.