From Austin Lannon '10:

"Lourdes is a beautiful town in the Pyrenean foothills.  Besides the breathtaking landscape, why do people flock there?  Why does this town attract so many people of the Christian faith year after year?  What happened in this village that would cause over five million tourists a year to visit?  

"It was the year 1858 on February 11.  A young lady by the name of Bernadette Soubirous had ventured into the woods with her sisters in order to collect firewood for the cold months.  As she approached a grotto, a lady dressed in white appeared standing upon a rock in the grotto.  This Lady was unseen by Bernadette's companions, but, even so, Bernadette knelt down and prayed.  Bernadette would visit the Grotto for the next 15 days, and would receive messages not just for the people of Lourdes but for the whole world.  They were instructed to build a church on that spot, and to repent.  While Bernadette conversed with the Lady, the mysterious Apparition performed miracles.  One of these many cases, which made Lourdes even more well-known, was the creation of a spring. Bernadette was told to eat the plants in a certain part of the grotto as penance then to wash herself in a spring that would appear.  After she had eaten the plants, a spring began to bubble up from the ground.  People came to this water and discovered its healing abilities.  The Lady at the Grotto revealed herself to be the Blessed Virgin Mary, and she is credited with performing these, and many other, miracles. 

"Brother Joseph has led the Abbey on his trip for over 17 years, and each pilgrimage has been as successful and mind-blowing as the one before it.  Every time one goes to Lourdes, he or she learns something new, sees something that he or she didn't notice before, and understands better the unique mysteries that surround Lourdes.

"This year, from the Abbey, Frank Pagliaro '10 and I were blessed enough to accompany Brother Joseph on his annual Lourdes pilgrimage. We are now Fourth Formers with more insight about our religion and the divine grace of Mary.  Frank and I, along with Abbey alumnus Jared Elliot '05,  traveled to this amazing town for a week.

"While at Lourdes, we worked with other volunteers from all over the world, mostly at the baths and trains.  Many would come and bathe in the waters of the spring while being assisted by the volunteers, who would also lead them in prayer.  At the trains, the volunteers mostly assisted the sick and elderly off the trains and moved their luggage for them.  As volunteers, we also helped guide the crowds as they went around the courtyard of the Church during the candlelight procession every night, and we signed in the international choir for the enjoyment of all.

"Many people from around the world are called to Lourdes; 5 million faithful visit there every year.  People go to Lourdes because they are ready to listen, and to accept the words left behind so long ago; some even seek miracles there.  They travel from all points of the planet, speaking many tongues but with a single notion in mind:  to become closer with God.  That one thought carries these many people to one town.  It can be overwhelming for individuals to realize that so many, like themselves, came to this one place.  Even though Lourdes can be very busy, with numerous people around, many pilgrims can easily forget the world and focus, while there, on prayer and devotion.  When you are surrounded by so many people, many of whom share the same hopes and dreams as you, you are able to feel more at peace than you thought possible.

 "A pilgrimage, by definition, is '...a journey to a holy place;' that is exactly what we did. With Brother Joseph as our leader, we left our native land to travel to a foreign country; for some on the trip, it was their first time out of America, on a mission.  Our mission was to follow our Catholic faith as best we could, and by going to Lourdes we have done so.  We have witnessed the miracle of love and have been touched, knowing in our hearts that this is one journey, one memory, that will last for a life time.  We would love to educate others in the joys of Lourdes even if they are not Catholic; that is one gift instilled in those of us who journeyed there together."

From Frank Pagliaro '10:

"We went (to Lourdes) for a week to help with all of the sick people who go to Lourdes to bathe in the baths for physical, spiritual and mental healing.  There are a lot of people there who can't walk, or see, or are mentally ill, and they all need help getting around...that's what we were there for, to help them and get a glimpse of how they live.

"We woke up at 6 a.m. and went right to work.  I liked it that way; it was a really great thing just to jump into it.  It's amazing to see all of the different people and hear the different languages there.  I learned that Lourdes is not really a city of France - it is really a city of the world.

"They took one man (in the baths) on a stretcher. He was the smallest man I have ever seen.  He couldn't walk and he was absolutely terrified, and he didn't speak any English.  We were trying to help him and calm him down, but he was horrified and shaking.  Someone told him in his native language to say his prayers and to hold any intentions he had in his heart, and he nodded. They picked him up and put him in the water.

"The water washed over his entire body, and he just...his fear went away and he just smiled.  He was beaming.  He smiled at all of us and was so happy that he had done it.  It was amazing.  For me, it was a strengthening of my Catholic faith to see that kind of transformation in a human being.  It was unbelievable.

"It was an incredible experience.  I definitely want to go back next summer and do it all over again."

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