Massabielle Grotto

So – for any Roman Catholic visiting Lourdes – the piece de resistance has to be Massabielle Grotto – where the Virgin Mary appeared to St Bernadette 18 times from 11th February to 16th July 1858 and who was canonised in 1933 and whose body is still (pretty much) as it was when she died on 16th April 1879 ✝️

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What WAS disappointing was that you couldn’t access any Lourdes spring water (I don’t mean to go on about religious stuff but – for those of you reading this that perhaps don’t know – the Virgin Mary told St Bernadette to “drink at the spring & wash in it” but there WAS no spring until St Bernadette dug the soil with her hands and the spring appeared).

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And many have been cured from various ills (both physical & mental – I was hoping for the latter !!!) after bathing in the water…

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I had read online (before we left) that the “Lourdes Baths” were open 9am-2pm (only 12 degrees 🥶) but we packed our swims and WOULD have had a dunk !!! 

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And there are lots of taps built into the wall (where peeps normally fill their holy water bottles) but they were “Hors Service” (out of bleedin’ order).  Unsure if this was a COVID thing or wot…

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So l’m thinking that the sale of holy water bottles – from the plethora of holy tat shops across the road – is WELL down !!! 💰 

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