Lourdes

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There is another Lourdes with a different pronunciation, see Lourdes, Brazil.

Lourdes
Country	France
Région	Midi-Pyrénées
Département	Hautes-Pyrénées
Arrondissement	Argelès-Gazost
Canton	Chief town of 2 cantons
INSEE Code	65286
Postal code	65100
Mayor Term of office	Jean-Pierre Artiganave 2001-2007
Intercommunality	Communauté de communes du Pays de Lourdes
Longitude	0' 05° W
Latitude	43° 1' N
Altitude	average: minimum: 343 m maximum: 960 m
Area	37 km²
Population without double-counting	15,203 (1999)
Population density	411 pers/km²

Statue of the Blessed Virgin of Lourdes

Our Lady of Lourdes Basilica

Lourdes (Lorda in Occitan) is a town in the Hautes-Pyrénées département in France. It is the largest Catholic religion pilgrimage location in France. It is situated in the south of the country in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains, and has about 17,000 inhabitants.

1 History
2 Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes
3 See also
4 External link

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History

It is said that in February 1858 the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to a 14-year-old girl called Bernadette Soubirous (now St. Bernadette) in the remote Grotto of Massabielle. A statue of the Madonna of Lourdes was erected at the site in 1864. Soon the previous chapel structure was replaced with a pilgrimage basilica. Bernadette Soubirous entered the Monastery of Nevers in 1866 and was canonized a Saint in 1933.

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Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes

Yearly from March to October the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is the place of mass pilgrimages from Europe and other parts of the world. The spring water from the grotto is believed by some to possess healing properties, and the Catholic Church has officially recognized 66 miraculous healings. Especially impressive are candlelight and sacrament processions.

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