The pilgrimage to Lourdes with the Order of Malta is an multi-day extended ritual. The malades and their companions spend seven days in Lourdes making a spiritual journey that brings them to the various religious sites located in a lush park-like area called the “Domain”. Aside from one bookstore and small religious articles kiosk, the Domain is undisturbed by any distracting commerce and is solely dedicated to providing a quiet haven for experiencing the miracle of Lourdes.
The malades (those living with grave health conditions) and their caregivers, are encouraged to see beyond the popular reputation of Lourdes as a site of miraculous healings and learn to walk in the steps of St. Bernadette Soubirous, the young, sickly, innocent girl to whom the Blessed Mother Mary appeared in a small rocky grotto on February 11, 1858. This journey of faith and devotion, inspired by the humble simple faith of a village girl, leads the malades, caregivers and all pilgrims into the deep currents of divine mercy that flow through the healing message of Lourdes.
The gifting of rosaries, a ceremony of the washing of the feet, rites of confession and the anointing of the sick and the offering of the Sacrifice of the Mass provide occasions of divine wisdom and grace. These, then, allow for a broader spiritual horizon with which to appreciate the evangelical significance of visiting the grotto, listening to the gurgling melody of the miraculous fountain, and then entering into the baths of Lourdes.
Visiting the baths has undergone a renewal in order to better link the life of the malades with the experience of the adolescent Bernadette. The malades no longer submerge themselves into a small bath of Lourdes water. They and their companions are invited to wash their hands, their faces and drink Lourdes water poured into their hands from a pitcher held by an attendant. This new ritual imitates the same gestures performed by Bernadette following the instructions given to her by the Blessed Mother during one of the early visits to the grotto.
The new manner of approaching the traditional Lourdes baths was introduced following the global COVID-19 pandemic. Whether the old practice of immersion will return was not discussed. The revised ritual unites the malades and other pilgrims with the cathartic, transformative moment in the life of St. Bernadette. In this way, her story becomes more personal for those who come to the same site where Mary’s sweet smile invited a young girl to pray with her. That so many pilgrims from around the world continue coming to Lourdes to pray with Mary and implore her intercession with her Son, Jesus, must bring the same delightful smile as she gazes upon us with tenderness.
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