The Grotto...the Sacred Center of the Lourdes Sanctuary

In 1858 young Bernadette Soubirous, 14 years old, was sent to find firewood to burn to warm the house. It was illegal to cut or break wood off of any tree, so the banks of the river, near the garbage dump is where she would go. On the day of February 11, Bernadette, had her first visit with Our Blessed Mother. She would have 18 in total, and in one of her visits with Mary, was told to dig in the base of the cave of this desolate place and a spring would come forth that would be the source of healing for many. Today after our Stations of the Cross on the Upper Hill, we visited the Grotto. In silence pilgrims walk through this place made sacred by Mary's Apparitions, Bernadette's faith, the miracles of healing that have occurred here, and the comfort to so many that burden they carry, they do not carry alone. It is a pace of deep faith. There is a silence the descends upon you as you pass through the cave, as you touch the walls above which Mary stood, as pilgrims, Malades, and caregivers deposit written prayer petitions or those in there hearts. These pictures show you the quiet approach in, the Grotto Cave and the view of the Basilicas built above the cave, at Bernadette's request, on behalf of Mary. I deposited the petitions entrusted to me to carry, and a number of additional ones I picked up along the way.