October 18
Sunday morning, 7:52. Barbara is in the shower so I will start today’s journal. My shower was uneventful except that the faucet controls were backwards and modesty is thrown to the wind since our bathroom has large, floor length windows and only sheer curtains. The bedroom is the same except for fancy gold curtain on the side which cannot be pulled across the sheers. Fr. Frank says he has no curtain in his bathroom. Maybe the French are jaded by so many nude paintings. We are staying here three nights, so we will improvise something. For now I have shoved a chair close to the bedroom window and have trapped the golden curtains against it. Breakfast was a couple of croissants with apricot jelly, strong coffee, and orange juice. Later we walked to the Basilica and Mass in the upper (crypt) church.
After Mass we boarded the bus for a short ride to the parish church of Lourdes to see the fount where Bernadette was baptized…
…the home where she was born, the flour mill (moulin) where her father worked, and the poor abandoned prison where she lived during the time of the apparitions (18 from March 25 to July 16, 1858).
This house where Bernadette spent most of her childhood was grandiose compared to the abandoned prison and its tiny fireplace (below) where she lived later.
From there we proceeded down the hill to the Shrine basking
in the late morning sun, perfect for a few pictures.
Our next stop was a quick visit to the vast underground Pius X Church built in the late 1950s to hold crowds up to 20,000 and to shelter the sick from the rain. Barbara and I explored the banners surrounding the church and I took a picture of one of my favorite saints, St. John Bosco.
Francois, our guide, showed us the exquisite mosaics outside the Basilica (see above) and the side altars inside with more mosaics. Many of the French saints had mosaics like Jennifer’s patron saint, St. Genevieve. We were especially amazed at the mosaic of the coronation of Mary donated by the people of the United States which offered an overview of those involved in the apparitions.
After the tour we found a brasserie for vegetable soup, a ham and cheese baguette and a Heineken beer. 21 euros lighter, we thought we were revived for the afternoon activities. But the beer got the best of us, so napping was our afternoon activity until 4:30 when our group joined the Eucharistic procession of the sick from the hospital across the river from the grotto to the underground church. Mary asked Bernadette for processions, so we obliged.
Thousands of pilgrims were caught up in the moment. The sick in wheel chairs and stretchers led off the procession followed by the crowds and the priests with the monstrance. Praying and singing for about a half mile we reached the altar of the dark, underground church. When the Eucharist arrived, we sang songs in various languages and adored the Eucharist. Then a priest gave groups of the sick a blessing, and a final blessing for the entire assembly.
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Afterwards Barbara and I walked around the enormous complex
taking pictures of more favorite saints.
After dinner, around 9:00 we joined the rosary procession around the square and back to the front of the main Basilica. We were a sea of singing candles once again paying our respects to Mary and her son, Jesus. This was our night prayer.
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By 10:00 we had returned to the hotel. Some of the other pilgrims discovered shutters which provided privacy. We found them and peacefully fell asleep. Bonne nuit.