Jour quatre, day four of your Spiritual Journey to Lourdes!

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Fourth day of Spiritual Journey,

First day of service !

Followed by Sanctuary tour &

Candlelight Rosary Procession

Calling all Volunteers . . .. Report to service!

A glimpse of what a day of service looks like! Good Luck !

Read more about special prayers and intentions offered during service.

Read more about volunteer stage service.

Gentlemen report to St. Joseph's service where you will be welcoming and assisting pilgrims at the train station and airport. You are the first to greet pilgrims as they arrive in Lourdes and the last to say goodbye. At the Sanctuary Processions, the Grotto and International Mass you provide direction and maintain reverence. You will also assist in Piscines (Baths).

Ladies report to St. Jean Baptiste service, prayerfully assisting women to bathe in the spring water of the Grotto. Working intimately with women and children who come to experience the baths. They ensure the modesty of pilgrims during undressing and dressing and physically assisting pilgrims in and out of the baths. This is physically and spiritually demanding service.

Tour the Sanctuary!

Learn about key places within the Sanctuary, so you can help others find their way around!

The Grotto

(1 min 25 sec)

The Piscines

(1 min. 14 sec)

Immaculate Conception Basilica

Saint Pius X Underground Basilica

Rosary Basilica

Beautiful mosaic with the words

"Par Marie a Jesus", "through Mary to Jesus."

Lourdes tradition. . . in some of the Basilicas and Churches in Lourdes . . .

Grateful pilgrims cover walls of the Basilicas and Churches with ex votos or thanksgiving plaques. Most are written in French, some are in English and other languages. An acknowledgment of the gift and the giver. Thank you's from the heart written in stone dated all the way back to when the shrine first opened to present day.

Now that we are familiar with the landmarks, let's get ready for one of most anticipated events in Lourdes, The Candlelight Rosary Procession! Takes place 9:00 p.m. every evening in Lourdes between Easter through the end of October.

Let's get prepared!

The Rosary is the central element of the Candlelight Rosary Procession with the singing of the Ave Maria de Lourdes.

Why the Rosary?

Bernadette used the Rosary as a map to guide her as well as a teaching tool to reveal all the wonders of God's love.

The Rosary is sometimes referred to as the peasants prayer but this is the prayer chosen by God, so it must be a good one! Approved by Rome in the fifteenth century as an official prayer of the church.

Shout out for the Rosary — the prayer you can pray when you’re discombobulated, waiting in the doctor’s office, driving to and from work or school, too distracted or busy to meditate, sitting with the sick or all by yourself.

The Rosary taught Bernadette so much and will continue to teach each and every one of us today.

Start with a quick refresher on how to pray the Rosary.

Challenge for the day - try to keep up!!!

Here is a reminder how physical your volunteer service truly is. The walk alone from your accommodations to service is quite the workout, about 5 miles a day! Practice the Rosary for Procession tonight while doing this! No laughing until you try it! :-)

Listen to the Ave Maria

After attending the Rosary Procession you will never hear the Ave Maria again without remembering your time in Lourdes.

Listen and sing along with one of our favorites in this beautiful rendition of the Ave Maria sung by the one and only Andrea Bocelli!

ANDREA BOCELLI (HQ) AVE MARIA (SCHUBERT)

The Candlelight Rosary Procession, Torchlight Procession, or Rosary Procession is also referred to in Lourdes as the Marian Procession. Read more about the Marian Procession.

The Lady speaks to Bernadette asking that the people come in procession and that a chapel be built there. A local priest asks for the Lady’s name. The Thirteenth Apparition. March 2, 1858, Message to the Priests

Now we are ready to process, hold your rosary tight, light a candle, close your eyes, and pray for all the intentions you hold near and dear in your heart and for all the pilgrims who make pilgrimage to Lourdes in search of a Miracle.

We sing and we pray to Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Bernadette, and our Holy Father.

Usually sung in Latin; imagine languages from all over the world coming together united in song and prayer.

Ave Maria

Gratia plena

Maria, gratia plena

Ave, ave dominus

Dominus tecum

Benedicta tu in mulieribus

Et benedictus

Et benedictus fructus ventris

Ventris tuae, Jesus.

Ave Maria