Monday, October 09, 2006 16 parishioners marked the first pilgrimage in Lourdes, France
AT LEAST 16 parishioners of Lourdes Shrine coming from the different areas of barangay Punta Princesa, Cebu City marked the first ever-organized pilgrimage in Lourdes, France together with the shrine rector, Fr. Peter Porio Jr. on September 5-15.
This pilgrimage, which was especially organized for the first time in the history of Lourdes Shrine gave the 16 parishioners up close and personal experience and an authentic encounter being in the place of origin where the Blessed Mother appeared to Saint Bernadette Soubirous as the Immaculate Conception in Lourdes, France in 1858 based in the history of the Catholic Church.
On an early morning, a private mass for the group was celebrated with Fr. Porio at St Michel Chapel at the Crypt in Lourdes. A very enriching tour follows that traces the rich history account of the beginnings of the apparitions and the humble life of Bernadette Soubirous inside the village-her ancestral house and the place where her family made their livelihood.
The afternoon were spent in spiritual visits and participation of the different services inside the shrine like visiting the Blessed Mother at the grotto, taking turns in the pool for bath, adoration, procession of the Blessed Sacrament, station of the cross, visiting the spring at the grotto and candlelight rosary procession in the evening where thousands of people from every corner of the world participated.
“It has been my dream to visit Lourdes that’s why I decided to join this pilgrimage. The bath in the pool where the spring of water flows from where Bernadette dug as instructed by the Blessed Mother was such an overwhelming experience for me! My hemorrhoid made me sick during the travel but after I took the bath the pain was completely gone. This whole experience reinforces my faith to the Blessed Mother and made me trust on Her even more”, confessed Lina Saucarga.
Marian devotee, Lydia Jalandoni expressed that “This whole indescribable experience gave me so much inner peace, enlightenment and for a moment made me forgets everything which gave me the sense of closeness to Jesus through the Blessed Mother. I felt blessings were really pouring on me especially when I joined the rosary procession in the evening with the thousand of people together with the majority of the sick people coming from the different parts of the world and suddenly the rain poured but I’ve refuse to seek shelter even as the rain poured in torrents.”
“This pilgrimage to Lourdes, France is significant for us especially that Lourdes is already a shrine now, a church being named after the Blessed Mother of Lourdes. Our grotto is built as a replica of the grotto in Lourdes so it is also important that we have a personal experience of Lourdes origin so this can help us on how we will welcome different pilgrims visiting our new shrine to promote the devotion of the Blessed Mother”, said Fr. Peter Porio Jr.
The group was also welcome by a Filipino Franciscan Bro. Mariano Solivar and was able to receive blessings by His Eminence Cardinal Bernard Francis Law during their visit at the Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore in the Vatican City.
Other sites visited during the pilgrimage includes: Church of Our Lady of All Nations, Canal Cruise, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, Sacre Coeur, Chapelle de la Medaille Miraculeuse (St Catherine), Sacred Heart of Jesus (Paray Le-Monial), Museum of the relics of St Bernadette (Nevers), St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, Basilica San Paul, Holy Stairs in Basilica San Giovanni in Laterano and Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore.
