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Lourdes is the place where, in 1858, a young girl, Bernadette Soubirous, supposedly saw apparitions of the Virgin Mary. Interestingly, when pious witnesses followed Bernadette when she returned to see Mary, they saw nothing but Bernadette said that she did see the vision once again. The Catholic Church soon saw the commercial possibilities of these apparitions and aggressively marketed Lourdes as a place of pilgrimage.
At first, there was no suggestion that miracle cures could be expected at Lourdes, but people of medieval and early modern times expected that wherever Mary's apparition was seen, one could expect the possibility of cures. Lourdes is now renowned for its miracle cures. It receives over 80,000 pilgrims a year, of whom approximately 7000 people in more than a century have sought to have cures confirmed as miracles. Only 68 of these have been declared as scientifically inexplicable by both the Lourdes Medical Bureau and the Catholic Church, a number so small as to suggest that these cases were likely to have been cured or gone into remission anyway. Nevertheless, Catholics and perhaps other Christians go on pilgrimage to Lourdes either to experience this holy site or in the hope of a cure from the water.
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What impact does Lourdes give society?
People who have serious illnesses have been cured there.
Why do people wash themself with water from Lourdes?
By washing themselves in this water, many people have been cured.
How has Lourdes been affected by commercialisation?
As with any place that attracts millions of visitors, there is a lot of commercialism in Lourdes. People do want to buy souvenirs from Lourdes and other practical items and local people need to make a living, so the commercialism serves a function. The most important features of Lourdes is within the area known as the Domain, where the churches and the grotto are and it is free of commercialism. The commercialism does not stop people going to Lourdes. Some people may not like it, but even for them, it does not stop them doing what they have come to Lourdes to do as part of their pilgrimages.
When was the grotto in Lourdes France built?
Lourdes wasn't 'built' as such but has been a town in Southern France for hundreds of years. The basilica built over the grotto where Bernadette was believed to have seen the Virgin Mary was built after the visions occurred. If you have Google Earth then you can find Lourdes at: 45 degrees 05mins 44.65 seconds North 00 degrees 02mins 51.21 seconds West
Why do they go to lourdes?
People go to Lourdes, because the srings are believed to be scared and have amazing healing powers. This is because there was apparitions of Mary seen in the springs, Catholic and being a great person of healing and nuturing in the Catholic church it is belived to have healing powers. Many people believe that they have been cured by the springs and their 'power'. These range from terminal cancer to disabilities and aslo emotionel ilness. That is why they go to Lourdes, for healing and saving.
What is it like at Lourdes?
people would go to Lourdes because there are loads of miracle stuffs happened there such as Mary appeared to Bernadette and people believe that if you drink water in there you will get healed.
How many official healings have been done at Lourdes?
There have been about 68 verified miracles at Lourdes.
Do people still visit Lourdes now?
All kinds of people go to Lourdes, beginning with the desperately ill. Many, many people over the years have found healing at Lourdes, as promised by Our Blessed Lady. Many of them haven't even been religious when they went to Lourdes, some of them were just desperate enough to try anything, but they mostly come back from Lourdes profoundly changed. God always heals people at Lourdes, not necessarily physically, but healing is always found. Some people are just pilgrims or devout servants of the Blessed Virgin. Many just come to pray.
How is healing linked to Lourdes?
Some pilgrims to Lourdes report that they have been miraculously healed.
How long has Lourdes been a place of pilgrimage?
Pilgrims began going to Lourdes in 1858.
What did Mary say to bernadette?
pray the rosery...love one another...the prudent will join in god's consciousness...prepare for the new life.
What miracles have happen in Lourdes?
The first miracle associated with Lourdes occurred when Bernadette Soubirous, a 14-year-old peasant girl, told her mother that she had seen a 'lady' in the cave of Massabielle, about a mile from Lourdes, while she was gathering firewood with her sister and a friend. Similar appearances of the lady were reported on seventeen further occasions that year, and many Christians believe the sightings to have been of Mary mother of Jesus. However, the truth of the apparitions of Lourdes is not an article of faith for Catholics, so these need not be considered miracles.Pope Pius IX authorised the local bishop to permit the veneration of the Virgin Mary in Lourdes in 1862. Lourdes is now a site for Catholic pilgrimage, receiving over 80,000 pilgrims a year, and is renowned for its cures.Approximately 7000 people have sought to have cures confirmed as miracles, but only 68 of these have been declared as scientifically inexplicable by both the Lourdes Medical Bureau and the Catholic Church. This number is so small as to suggest that these cases were likely to have been cured or gone into remission anyway.There was perhaps less rigorous checking of supposed cures at Lourdes during the late nineteenth century, and it was during this period that some of the most impressive cures took place. One of the best known is the case of Gabriel Gargam, who appeared to be dead when a priest pronounced Benediction over him at Lourdes. Although the miraculous waters of Lourdes had been of no help to him, this simple act of Benediction is said to have brought Gargam back to life.The most recent miracle claimed for Lourdes is the case of Serge Francois, who had lost almost all mobility in his left leg after complications. In 2003 he reported to the medical commission in Lourdes that he had been cured at Lourdes in 2002 after he went to the miraculous spring to drink the water and wash his face.For more information, please visit: http://christianity.answers.com/catholicism/visions-of-the-virgin-mary
