Lourdes: A sacred place where kindness and gentleness rule

EACH time I go to Lourdes, I have a different experience, and each time I try and write about it - well, I just don’t know where to start after my latest visit.

It’s not that I haven’t a head full of thoughts and memories - in reality, after every single visit I could nearly write a small book!

So much to write, and yet I feel I cannot truly describe the very essence of what Lourdes is and what it means to me. 

They say, ‘if you want to know me, come live with me’, and tis a bit like that with Lourdes.

Words are great, they are descriptive and can convey so much, but God, knows I’ve written a lot about this special place in recent years and yet I often wonder - am I really explaining it correctly?

Then how can one put down in words the feelings of emotion, the little ‘miracles’ that happen in Lourdes every day?

In midsummer, among the throngs of tens of thousands, or in deserted December, Lourdes means so much to me.

I’m always thrilled when someone who has travelled to the little Village of St Bernadette for the first time says to me: “John, I never, ever imagined it would be like this.”

Yes, they’d read all about it, but nothing beats being there - I can guarantee anyone that!

Yet I write these lines a few days after coming home and once more and again I’m fumbling and fostering trying to tap out the right words.

A difficult yet exquisitely beautiful task, as I attempt to ‘paint a picture’ of the comings and goings, tears and laughter, songs and prayers of six amazing days.

Inspiration comes from the strangest of sources and in so many ways I am very lucky to meet people and hear things that give me that ‘Wow’ feeling.

On Tuesday morning, I was over in Mallow for the launch of a lovely, informative booklet entitled Staying Well - a huge crowd attended. The guest speaker was former Mountjoy Governor John Lonergan.

I’ve heard John speak several times before and he never fails to inspire. On Tuesday, however, he bowled me over with his train of thought. There was I turning and tossing things in my mind in relation to Lourdes and how it was for me and others this year. John was telling us of what’s important and what’s not.

He honed in on three aspects of life and living that are keys to happiness - kindness, gentleness and the ability to listen. Well, says I to meself, that’s it, bingo - those three things summed up exactly what our trip to Lourdes this year was all about.

From the time we gathered at half six in the morning at Cork Airport until we returned six days later, the kindness and gentleness shown by so many was stunning.

It was back in March of 1971 that I - a curly, foxy-haired, freckly boy of 14, first went to Lourdes. The middle of five children, Mam took us all over, one by one, in successive years to a place that meant so much to her.

We left a squally, sleety Cork around 7am and were back Leeside about 7pm the following evening - with no sleep in between!

In truth, I remember little enough of that trip, which included an All Night Vigil at the Grotto. Two things I recalled - all the crutches and walking sticks stacked and piled in at the back of the Grotto, and eating ‘cheval’ in our hotel.

Though I was studying French in St Colman’s at the time, I could never, ever imagine any connection between the strongish-tasting dark meat and Arkle, L’Escargot or Northern Dancer!

Last year, in our first year after three Lourdes-less Covid years, we were back as a Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes and Murphy’s Law came into play ‘Anything that can go wrong will go wrong,’ and it did in spades!

The planes were late coming, flights delayed, buses missing at Tarbes Airport, eating our ‘supper’ at nearly three in the morning...

This year it was the opposite -everything went like clockwork.

You know, the gathering of pilgrims at the airport in Cork is just one of the very special aspects of going to Lourdes. 

Some from our own area we’d have met now and then in the last 12 months and others from far-flung parts we had not since last year’s trip.

It was in 2007, to mark my 50 years on this mortal coil, that I decided to go back to Lourdes again after an absence of 36 years. Little did I think on June 1 of that year that the little town nestled under the Pyrenees would be like a magnet for me.

Since that day, I think I’ve been back to Lourdes either 29 or 30 times, Wow is right.

This year, for the first time ever, our group of Youth Helpers drawn from our secondary schools were with all of us adult helpers, Doctors, nurses and assisted pilgrims on the first flight. That was just brilliant as these young people got to meet those they’d be working with all week.

As a group, they had met just once before travelling to Lourdes, and most didn’t know what to expect. Oh, they were just a wonderful group, displaying such kindness and gentleness and tenderness to those in their care.

Maybe public displays of Christianity aren’t as popular as in days of yore, but actions speak louder than words and these teenagers were stunning. From the time we landed at Tarbes Airport just outside the town of Lourdes ’til our return the following Wednesday, their spirit of friendship and wanting to help was humbling.

It was brilliant to arrive at our destination early in the afternoon -plenty time to settle in and relax. We had close on 50 guests staying in the Accueil Notre Dame - we call it the Hospital, but in reality it’s more like a ‘cross’ between a hotel and guest house. Some had been in Lourdes before, for many it was their first time.

There are nine ‘official’ pilgrimage ceremonies across the six days, but our first afternoon was ‘free’ so people had time to visit the Grotto -the heart of Lourdes.

Crossing the bridge from the Accueil and standing there before the Crowned Virgin Statue is like the ‘rite of passage’ at the start of each visit. It’s the first and last place where I pray in Lourdes on each visit.

We were absolutely blessed with the weather this year as it was cool with very little rain. Yes, we had warm sunshine a few days, but I never put on a hat and the Factor 50 stayed in my case! With so many of our activities outdoors, conditions were just perfect.

After we left, folk from Waterford and Lismore came and it was real hay-making weather with temperatures close to 30.

Amongst our ‘first timers’ this year were two people from Ballyhooly - six decades apart in age. Both had strong family links with Lourdes, but for this 20-year-old and 80-year-old, the journey to Lourdes was a new venture. They were simply awe-struck by the pilgrimage and by all aspects of Lourdes. They immediately fell in love with the place.

They spoke in amazement of the Grotto, the churches, the water, the crowds - vast crowds - but most of all the peace and tranquillity that envelopes the sacred place.

We were busy this year with plenty to do. I think I never actually got to sit by the Grotto for very long, but then we go there to work and serve others - and what a joy that is.

Bernadette Soubirous suffered an awful lot during her short life but never complained. Even when she left Lourdes in 1866 to go to the Convent in Nevers, she smiled through her pain. She had the reputation of being a bit of a prankster!

A curious journalist knocked at the Nevers Convent door and Bernadette answered. The visitor asked could he speak to Bernadette, she turned away and said she’d see if she was in - and then returned with a broad smile on her face!

To be continued next week...