The first full day was just that, very full. The malades, their companions, and all the pilgrims participated in rites of blessing and entrusting of the rosary, reconciliation, the washing of the feet, and the visit to the baths at the Grotto. All of these ritual activities took place within the tranquil and sacred grounds called the domaine. Perhaps the best English translation would be campus or estate.
The local Church has done a good job of sheltering the sacred sites from the clutter of religious article shops and souvenir vendors. Such places, endemic to most religious shrines, squeeze in around the domaine but once you cross over into the domaine these disappear, giving way to beautifully cultivated grounds that surround the various chapels for religious services, confessions, and Eucharistic adoration; an outdoor way of the cross with 14 stations; a new building housing the baths, and spacious paths coursing through the campus intended for large processions. All of these places circle the Grotto where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette and the miraculous spring of water was found.
The Grotto is a small rocky niche that nature had hewn on the side of a stone hill. Upon the slope of this hill, above the Grotto, are three separate churches. At top is the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, the first of the three shrines built over the Grotto. Below this is a crypt Church. Then below this is the Basilica of the Holy Rosary.
Our first religious exercises were in the beautiful Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, constructed to comply with the Virgin Mary’s request of Bernadette that a church be raised there in her honor. The apparitions occurred in 1858. This basilica was consecrated in 1876. The structure imitated the gothic style from the Middle Ages. The nave is narrow and soars upwards with elegant stain glass windows illustrating the mystery of the Immaculate Conception. The dogma of the Immaculate Conception had only recent been defined by Pope Pius IX, in 1854.
In this beautiful space the pilgrims gathered to share together rich Catholic rituals, each of which speak a language that is universal while also expressing the very personal.
The pilgrims were first given rosaries. A brief elocution linked this simple gift to the events of the Lourdes Apparition. Bernadette accompanied the Virgin Mary in the recitation of the rosary during the first apparition. This simple, humble gesture reminds us that the rosary is essentially Christocentric. Mary is not the object of our prayer. She is our companion in prayer leading us to her Son, Jesus. Bernadette’s first encounter with Mary was an experience of this maternal accompaniment in prayer. The blessing preceding the distribution of rosaries emphasized an appreciation for the communal nature of all prayer. Whether we are alone or part of an assembly of prayer, there is a wonderful consolation in recognizing that we always pray as members of the mystical body of Christ. The Virgin Mary always accompanies us in our prayer together with all the Church united with Christ. In communion with Christ we are all living stones in the one temple of the Spirit giving glory to God the Father.
After the distribution of rosaries, the feet of the Malades were washed imitating the ritual presented annually on Holy Thursday. This rich symbol never fails to move the hearts of those involved, no matter whether one is washing or being washed. The ritual speaks a language that speaks directly to the heart. In the humble act of charity both the servant and the one served are honored. Even when performed among strangers that is a startling sense of affection and tenderness. Perhaps like so many other Christian signs, the intention of the Lord Jesus echoes through them and touches the heart.
As part of the ceremony of the washing of the feet, the hands of caregivers are also blessed with holy water, acknowledging their religious significance in the daily, often mundane, routines of providing care for those in need.
Following these moments, the malades and their companions were offered the opportunity for the sacrament of confession. This sacramental moment appeared seamless with all that had proceeded it. Confession is a personal, close encounter with the mercy of God. The sacrament itself is ascetic. It abstains from any human pretense, requiring only an ordained priest and a penitent to humbly follow a ritual conversation under God’s merciful gaze and the Spirit’s powerfully mysterious influence.
Later in the day, our brother and sister malades were brought to the baths so that they could be immersed in the spring waters of Lourdes. I escorted up to the doors of the baths the malade to whom I was assigned. Caring and competent staff would then escort the malade into the baths and assist him through the immersion. The waiting area immediately outside the baths was crowded, charged with an air of nervous anticipation and prayerful surrender. The day shivered with dampness. The attendant, who managed the line of those waiting to enter, warned us that the waters were very cold but conveyed an assurance that all would go well. After waiting awhile, watching others go in and then out, my assigned malade was taken in. I continued my vigil outside, watching the always busy line of people waiting their turn. For some, their ailments were readily apparent. There were others, whose reasons for being there were not so apparent. Sometimes spontaneous prayers would break out from different cultural groups. Songs would rise up occasionally from the restless crowd.
Soon the malade came out from the baths looking relieved and joyful. I thought twice about putting to him the evening news question: “So … how do you feel?” We went back to the hotel in silence. Later, the next day, while waiting on another activity, I then asked him about his experience in the spring waters of Lourdes. His first thought: ”It was really cold.” His second thought: “I feel so blessed to have shared in an ancient tradition of Faith.”
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