Lourdes water

Last updated
Water collected at Lourdes. 1928. Medicinal water from Lourdes, France, 1920-1928 Wellcome L0057445.jpg
Water collected at Lourdes. 1928.
Plastic containers being sold in 2005 for collecting Lourdes water Lourdes bidons vierges 3.jpg
Plastic containers being sold in 2005 for collecting Lourdes water

Lourdes water is water which flows from a spring in the Grotto of Massabielle in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, France. According to Catholic tradition, the location of the spring was described to Bernadette Soubirous by an apparition of Our Lady of Lourdes on 25 February 1858. Since that time, many millions of pilgrims to Lourdes have followed the instruction of the Blessed Virgin Mary to "drink at the spring and bathe in it".

Contents

Since the supposed apparitions, many people have claimed to have been cured by drinking or bathing in it, [1] and the Lourdes authorities provide it free of charge. [2]

Chemical analysis

An analysis of the water was commissioned by the French politician Anselme Lacadé  [ fr ] in 1858. It was conducted by a professor in Toulouse, who determined that the water was potable and that it contained the following: oxygen, nitrogen, carbonic acid, carbonates of lime and magnesia, a trace of carbonate of iron, an alkaline carbonate or silicate, chlorides of potassium and sodium, traces of sulphates of potassium and soda, traces of ammonia, and traces of iodine. [3]

Essentially, the water is quite pure and inert. Lacadé had hoped that Lourdes water might have special mineral properties which would allow him to develop Lourdes into a spa town, to compete with neighbouring Cauterets and Bagnères-de-Bigorre. [4]

Bathing

Primitive makeshift bathing installations were constructed in the 1850s by local builders. Until 1880 there were only two pools, filled by a manual pump. In 1880, a wooden bathing-house containing fourteen pools ("piscines") was constructed. [5]

The French author Émile Zola visited the Sanctuary of Lourdes in 1891 and again in 1892, and wrote of the pools' unsanitary conditions:

And the water was not exactly inviting. The Grotto Fathers were afraid that the output of the spring would be insufficient, so in those days they had the water in the pools changed just twice a day. As some hundred patients passed through the same water, you can imagine what a horrible slop it was at the end. There was everything in it: threads of blood, sloughed-off skin, scabs, bits of cloth and bandage, an abominable soup of ills... the miracle was that anyone emerged alive from this human slime. [6]

During the 1897 Jubilee Pilgrimage to Lourdes, the priest François Picard was thirsty after a long day. Rather than drinking fresh water, he asked an assistant to fill his glass from a bathing pool, heavily contaminated from the sick pilgrims who had been immersed in it. "When the father had received [the water], he made the sign of the cross and drank slowly, right to the end. Then, he gave back the glass and concluded with a smile: "The water of the good Mother of Heaven is always delicious." [7]

The next set of baths was completed in 1891, and tiled in the Virgin's blue. [5] This building was located near to where the water taps are now and can be seen on old photographs of the Domain.

The current baths were constructed in 1955, and upgraded in 1972 and 1980. There are seventeen separate bath cubicles, eleven for women and six for men. Each year about 350,000 people use the baths. [8]

The water is not heated and is usually cold; the temperature is around 12 °C (54 °F). The immersion lasts around a minute, during which time prayers are recited, and veneration of a nearby statue of the Virgin is encouraged. Able-bodied pilgrims are aided by one or two volunteer attendants, but immobile pilgrims sometimes require much more physical help. The water in each bath is constantly topped up and refreshed via a pump. It is now constantly circulated and purified by irradiation. [9]

Modern times

Operated by the Marist Fathers, The Lourdes Center in Kenmore Square (Boston, Massachusetts) was established in 1950 by Cardinal Richard J. Cushing and Bishop Pierre-Marie Theas to distribute Lourdes water in the United States. Lourdes-Center-Boston.jpg
Operated by the Marist Fathers, The Lourdes Center in Kenmore Square (Boston, Massachusetts) was established in 1950 by Cardinal Richard J. Cushing and Bishop Pierre-Marie Theas to distribute Lourdes water in the United States.

Lourdes water flows from a spring in the back area of Grotto at the same spot where it was discovered by Bernadette. At maximum, the water flows at 40 litres per minute. [10] The water is collected in a cistern, and dispensed via a system of taps near the shrine, where pilgrims may drink it or collect it in bottles or other containers to take with them. The original spring can be seen within the Grotto, lit from below, and protected by a glass screen.

Lourdes water in individual plastic bottles for distribution LourdesWater.jpg
Lourdes water in individual plastic bottles for distribution

Over the last few years the system of taps has been progressively altered. As of 2008, water is dispensed from a series of taps set into stone in a circle around the base of one of the smaller towers of the Upper Basilica.

In 2002 the Water Walk was introduced, across the Gave river and slightly downstream from the Grotto. It consists of a series of nine stations at which there is a small Lourdes water font. The stations form a walkway along the Gave which can be followed in either direction. As they walk, pilgrims are invited to wash or drink, and meditate on passages from the Bible. Each station carries a title of the Virgin Mary, such as "Queen of the Apostles", "Mother of Good Counsel", and "Our Lady of Light". [11]

Traditionally, pilgrims collect gallons of water at the taps to be given to family and friends unable to make the trip to Lourdes. As of summer 2007, Mistral Air passengers on pilgrimage to Lourdes were forbidden to bring containers of water on the plane. Officials at Tarbes Airport said this was in keeping with new anti-terrorism regulations about liquids following the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>The Song of Bernadette</i> (film) 1943 film by Henry King

The Song of Bernadette is a 1943 American biographical drama film based on the 1941 novel of the same name by Franz Werfel. It stars Jennifer Jones in the title role, which portrays the story of Bernadette Soubirous, who reportedly experienced eighteen visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary from February to July 1858 and was canonized in 1933. The film was directed by Henry King, from a screenplay by George Seaton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lourdes</span> Commune in Occitania, France

Lourdes is a market town situated in the Pyrenees. It is part of the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. Prior to the mid-19th century, the town was best known for its Château fort, a fortified castle that rises up from a rocky escarpment at its center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernadette Soubirous</span> French Roman Catholic saint (1844–1879)

Bernadette Soubirous, also known as Bernadette of Lourdes, was the firstborn daughter of a miller from Lourdes, in the department of Hautes-Pyrénées in France, and is best known for experiencing apparitions of a "young lady" who asked for a chapel to be built at the nearby cave-grotto. These apparitions occurred between 11 February and 16 July 1858, and the woman who appeared to her identified herself as the "Immaculate Conception".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grotto</span> Natural or artificial cave associated with use by humans

A grotto is a natural or artificial cave used by humans in both modern times and antiquity, and historically or prehistorically. Naturally occurring grottoes are often small caves near water that are usually flooded or often flooded at high tide. Sometimes, artificial grottoes are used as garden features. The Grotta Azzurra at Capri and the grotto at Tiberius' Villa Jovis in the Bay of Naples are examples of popular natural seashore grottoes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bathing</span> Washing or immersing the body with water

Bathing is the act of washing the body, usually with water, or the immersion of the body in water. It may be for personal hygiene, religious ritual or therapeutic purposes. By analogy, especially as a recreational activity, the term is also applied to sun bathing and sea bathing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes</span> Marian shrine in Hautes-Pyrénées, France

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is a Catholic Marian shrine and pilgrimage site dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes in the town of Lourdes, Hautes-Pyrénées, France. The sanctuary includes several religious buildings and monuments around the grotto of Massabielle, the place where the events of the Lourdes apparitions occurred in 1858, among them are three basilicas, the Basilica of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the Rosary Basilica and the Basilica of St. Pius X, respectively known as the upper, lower and underground basilica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Public bathing</span> Buildings with swimming pools or other facilities for bathing

Public baths originated when most people in population centers did not have access to private bathing facilities. Though termed "public", they have often been restricted according to gender, religious affiliation, personal membership, and other criteria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spa</span> Location where mineral-rich spring water is used to give medicinal baths

A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water is used to give medicinal baths. Spa towns or spa resorts typically offer various health treatments, which are also known as balneotherapy. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular worldwide, but are especially widespread in Europe and Japan. Day spas and medspas are also quite popular, and offer various personal care treatments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Our Lady of Lourdes</span> A title of Mary, mother of Jesus

Our Lady of Lourdes is a title of the Virgin Mary. She is venerated under this title by the Roman Catholic Church due to her apparitions that occurred in Lourdes, France. The first apparition of 11 February 1858, of which Bernadette Soubirous told her mother that a "Lady" spoke to her in the cave of Massabielle while she was gathering firewood with her sister and a friend. Similar apparitions of the "Lady" were reported on 18 occasions that year, until the climax revelation in which she introduced herself as: "the Immaculate Conception". On 18 January 1862, the local Bishop of Tarbes Bertrand-Sévère Laurence endorsed the veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lourdes.

<i>The Song of Bernadette</i> (novel) 1942 novel by Franz Werfel

The Song of Bernadette is a 1941 novel that tells the story of Saint Bernadette Soubirous, who, from February to July 1858 reported eighteen visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lourdes, France. The novel was written by Franz Werfel and translated into English by Lewis Lewisohn in 1942. It was extremely popular, spending more than a year on the New York Times Best Seller list and 13 weeks in first place.

The Hospitalité Notre Dame de Lourdes (HNDL) a Roman Catholic religious confraternity under the spiritual authority of the Bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes, and works closely with the Rector of the Sanctuaries and his pastoral team. The HNDL is governed by a President and a council. It is active in Lourdes during the main pilgrimage season, and it also provides people to welcome pilgrims at the Piscines (Baths) during the winter. The HNDL was founded in 1885, and through its work aims to pass on the ‘message of Lourdes’. Members, known in French as hospitaliers, strive to do this not only in Lourdes but also in their home parishes and institutions, for the good of the church and the world.

The Lourdes Medical Bureau is an official medical organization based in Lourdes, France, within the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes. Its function is to transfer medical investigation of apparent cures associated with the shrine of Lourdes to the International Medical Committee of Lourdes. In 2013 it is presided over by Nicolas Brouwet, Bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes, and François-Bernard Michel, also president of the Académie Nationale de Médecine

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lourdes apparitions</span> 1858 reported supernatural activity in Lourdes, France

The Lourdes apparitions are several Marian apparitions reported in 1858 by Bernadette Soubirous, the 14-year-old daughter of a miller, in the town of Lourdes in southern France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religious tourism</span> Travel to religious sites, whether spiritual or sightseeing

Religious tourism, spiritual tourism, sacred tourism, or faith tourism, is a type of tourism with two main subtypes: pilgrimage, meaning travel for religious or spiritual purposes, and the viewing of religious monuments and artefacts, a branch of sightseeing.

John Traynor (1883–1943) was a Royal Marine severely wounded during the First World War. He lived as an invalid until 1923, when he joined with fellow Catholics from the Liverpool area and journeyed to the Catholic shrines at Lourdes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosary Basilica</span>

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica within the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France. Its main theme is a celebration and depiction of the Rosary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, Notre Dame</span> Religious site in Indiana, United States

The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes is located at the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States, and is a reproduction of the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in Lourdes, France. The current Grotto was built in 1896, replacing a wooden grotto built on August 22, 1878. An artificial rock cave, the Grotto is used by its visitors as a sacred space for prayer, meditation, and outdoor Mass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anglèse de Sagazan</span>

Anglèse de Sagazan was a French shepherdess from Lannemezan who claimed she saw three Marian apparitions in Monléon three times in 1515.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, Heiligenkreuz (Lower Austria)</span> Lourdes Grotto, Heiligenkreuz

The Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto in Heiligenkreuz is a Lourdes grotto in Heiligenkreuz, a municipality in the Vienna Woods in the district of Baden near Vienna, which was created in 2017 by the Heiligenkreuz Abbey as a religious monument in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Like all similar grottoes of Our Lady of Lourdes around the world, it is reminiscent of the world-famous grotto of the apparition of the Virgin Mary in the French pilgrimage town of Lourdes.

References

  1. ↑ Ruth Harris, Lourdes: Body and Spirit in the Secular Age, Penguin Books, 1999, p. 312.
  2. ↑ Shipping of Water from the Spring . Lourdes-France.org (2003-10-21). Retrieved on 2011-09-19.
  3. ↑ Lourdes 4. Nd.edu. Retrieved on 2011-09-19.
  4. ↑ Ruth Harris, Lourdes: Body and Spirit in the Secular Age, Penguin Books, 1999, p. 312.
  5. 1 2 Ruth Harris, Lourdes: Body and Spirit in the Secular Age, Penguin Books, 1999, p. 313.
  6. ↑ Émile Zola, Lourdes, 1894, quoted in Ruth Harris, Lourdes: Body and Spirit in the Secular Age, Penguin Books, 1999, p. 337.
  7. ↑ A. Pépin, "Le Père François Picard: directeur de l'association de Notre-Dame de Salut at des pèlerinages nationaux", Pages d'archives no.3 (November 1963) p. 225, quoted in Ruth Harris, Lourdes: Body and Spirit in the Secular Age, Penguin Books, 1999, p. 246.
  8. ↑ In the Baths. Lourdes-France.org (2003-10-21). Retrieved on 2011-09-19.
  9. ↑ According to one of the chaplains interviewed in the 2008 EWTN documentary The Lourdes Experience.
  10. ↑ Oliver Todd, The Lourdes Pilgrim, Matthew James Publishing, 2003, p. 42.
  11. ↑ Lourdes: A People from Every Nation, Service Promotion des Sanctuaires Notre-Dame de Lourdes, 2002, p. 10.
  12. ↑ Air pilgrims face holy water ban. BBC News, 2007-08-29, retrieved 2008-07-31.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.