Lourdes Catholic Blog

Lourdes 2009 - Archbishop Vincent Nichol's message to pilgrims

2009-07-28T06:54:00.000-07:00

Lourdes 2009 - Archbishop Vincent Nichol's message to pilgrims from Catholic Westminster on Vimeo.

Archbishop Vincent Nichols welcomes Westminster pilgrims to Lourdes

2009-07-28T06:44:00.000-07:00

Archbishop Vincent Nichols has today, Monday 27 July 2009, celebrated the opening Mass of the Diocese of Westminster's 2009 Pilgrimage to Lourdes in the Underground Basilica.

This is the first year Archbishop Vincent has led the Diocese of Westminster's Pilgrimage to Lourdes, and follows his Installation as the Eleventh Archbishop of Westminster in May 2009.

During his homily the Archbishop welcomed all the pilgrims and expressed thanks that so many were able to come this year. He opened the Mass by praying that the week would be dedicated to the Lord and intercession of Mary.

He said: "We have come to meet the Lord, but over the course of the week, you will find that the Lord will come to you. Each time we go out, from our hotel room, from the churches, from the Grotto, we can know that God is coming to meet us. It may be in the smile of another person, in the gentleness of a person that we didn't expect, in the stories that we hear. God will be there in the kindness that we receive when we are upset or tired."

"It isn't always obvious how God comes to us, but that is our task for this pilgrimage; to sense and be ready to respond to the Lord when he comes to us. That is what happened to Bernadette. She was going to collect firewood, but at the prompting of Mary came to a life of great closeness to the Lord. We too can learn from Mary to be attentive, to listen to the prompting of the Lord."

"A pilgrimage is like life in miniature. What happens on a pilgrimage teaches us about our lives; the gifts that we receive here we try and put into practice elsewhere in our lives. So a pilgrimage is a workshop for life for it is here that we renew our faith."

During the opening Mass, Fr Denis Touw, the Pilgrimage Director, welcomed the Archbishop saying: "We are delighted to have Archbishop Vincent Nichols with us during this pilgrimage. On behalf of everyone I express our warmest welcome to him."

The Mass was attended by over 800 pilgrims who have travelled to Lourdes with the diocese. Pilgrims include 230 Redcaps, (youth volunteers from schools and colleges across the Diocese), 30 Priests, 2 Permanent Deacons, 130 sick pilgrims and 64 pilgrims from the St Joseph's Pastoral Centre, which is entrusted with the support of people with learning
disabilities in the Diocese of Westminster. The pilgrimage runs from Sunday 26 - Friday 31 July 2009.

To keep up with the pilgrims read the online blog at www.rcdow.org.uk/lourdes/blog
Original story taken from: http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=14670

Salve Regina de Lourdes

2009-07-06T06:46:00.000-07:00

Thousands singing the Salve Regina at the end of one of the torchlight rosary processions in Lourdes, France. The torchlight processions are held daily.

Easier Choice for Pilgrims - Lourdes Hotel website features ALL Hotels in Lourdes

2009-07-04T00:05:00.000-07:00

LourdesHotel.net features ALL Hotels in Lourdes for Pilgrims. For the first time, Lourdes pilgrims can now search all Lourdes Hotels, all in one place to find the cheapest prices and best deals.

LourdesHotel.net searches ALL top travel websites on the Internet to produce the best rates available to pilgrims. The site has sorting functionality so that hotels can be sorted in various ways such as number of stars, prices, popularity etc...

LourdesHotel.net has really takes the hassle out of searching for the best hotel choice for pilgrims. From the site pilgrims are able to access availability, online bookings and hotel reviews, of ALL Lourdes Hotels, all in one place.

I knew that when I recieved my Lourdes Water I would recieve a miracle.

2009-06-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

I knew that when I recieved my Lourdes Water I would recieve a miracle.

I am 70 years old and before 2nd June 2009 I had / was:

> COPD
> dibedic
> high blood pressure
> blind

After receiving Lourdes Water on 2nd of June 2009:

> I do not need oxygen after using it for 10 years 24/7
> My eye sight is improving
> I can sleep better now
> I can now walk longer distances
> My wife tells everyone that I am not the same person and in a way it scares her for I am so good all around !
> She says that my face has such a glow and says that I am so happy. We now say grace at the table
> Our marriage is so much better

And my miracle is still working, it is so wonderful, it is so beautiful, I can not find the words on how I really feel.

We have Our Lady of Lourdes holy water by our front door now and 1 small bottle at our bed sides and always will...

Lourdes Water Crystal by Dr Masaru Emoto

2009-06-23T02:29:00.000-07:00

5 new miracles in Lourdes

2009-06-23T01:28:00.000-07:00

The International Medical Committee of Lourdes records and judges the reported remarkable cures in Lourdes. The Committee is currently judging 5 new claims of Lourdes Miracles.

Among these 5 cases are four women and of a man, all aged between 40 to 69 years old.

Mrs A, a non believer, diagnosed with sclerosis in April 1993. In 2004 her state of health worsened very badly and was wheelchair bound. May 20, 2004, at the time of a pilgrimage to Lourdes, while in the baths at Lourdes, this person notes suddenly the disappearance of all symptoms. Since, she has been given a clean bill of health.

Mrs B since childhood has suffered from a muscular weakness which evolved to be very painful, she suffered from frequent falls an at 34 years old, she was in a wheelchair. At the end of her sixth pilgrimage to Lourdes, in 2004, she was definitively healed and abandoned her wheelchair!

All 5 cases are still ongoing, as it takes 7 painstaking years on average for the Committee to rigorously perform tests, analyse the facts and recognise a miracle, the Catholic Church acknowledges the medical Committee's proof of a Miracle, provided that the bishop of the diocese of the healed person also declares it to be a Miracle.

Lourdes Miracle Water - from Heaven for Life

2009-06-23T00:43:00.000-07:00

I am going to light a candle for Saint Bernadette and Our Lady for saving my daughter.

I remember sitting on the sofa crying, depressed and afraid. I thought about how unfair the tumor was for her. Then my daughter received the Lourdes water and drank it, EVERYTHING changed, it was just so wonderful!! It was so amazing how everything turned around for my daughter. It all happened so fast !!

The odds were very bad in the beginning, the doctor told her that after the second biopsy that he expected to find much more, but after she had drunk the water, the tumor had shrunk and said he could only assume that just before the surgery a needle might have caused a hemorrhage that made the tumor shrink. I tend to believe that it was a much greater event that did this!

I still maintain that it was Divine intervention. I will always be grateful to Lourdes, St.Bernadette, Our Lady and the miraculous water from Lourdes.

Such a gift! Healing waters from heaven for life. This was truly a blessing.

Patricia

A detailed profile of Saint Bernadette's life, including photos, music and history

2009-06-19T05:07:00.000-07:00

It's truly a miracle!

2009-06-19T04:50:00.000-07:00

My sister who was diagnosed with a nodule on her pancreas. Our father passed away 2 years ago from pancreatic cancer and we were fearful for my sister. She had her CT scan and the mass was gone! Her pancreas is absolutely fine! We have been spared by the mercy of God through the intervention of Our Lady of Lourdes and St Bernadette! It's truly a miracle!

Love in Jesus & Mary,

Judy