A Pilgrim Among Pilgrims

Pope Leo XIV will visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in southern France on September 26 as part of his apostolic trip to the country. This visit marks the first time a pope has traveled to the shrine in eighteen years.

The sanctuary, located in a small village in the French Pyrenees, is known for hosting more than five million pilgrims annually who seek spiritual or physical healing. The site gained recognition following reports by Bernadette Soubirous, who stated she saw the Virgin Mary in eighteen apparitions between February and July 1858. During these encounters, the woman described by Soubirous invited her to pray the rosary and drink from a spring. Today, the shrine is recognized for its hospitality toward the elderly, the disabled, and those who are ill.