Pilgrims in a torchlight procession before the Lourdes church.
Sentinel photo by Gerry Lewin

LOURDES, France — Archbishop John Vlazny came here last week with 88 Oregon pilgrims to mark the sesquicentennial jubilee of Mary’s apparition.

Rouen was the first stop on the pilgrimage itinerary. The riverfront city is where St. Joan of Arc was martyred for her faith. She led the French army in key victories over the English during the 15th Century to restore the French monarchy.

During Mass in the cathedral, Archbishop Vlazny reminded the pilgrims that Christ calls each one of us to mission, just as he called Joan of Arc.
Buses took the pilgrims through the beautiful French countryside to Lisieux, home of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, another popular French saint. She died of tuberculosis when she was only 24.

A modern basilica dedicated to St. Thérèse sits atop the hill. Pilgrims celebrated morning Mass in the crypt chapel, with its beautiful, pastel-colored mosaics depicting scenes from the life of the young saint.

During the Mass, Archbishop Vlazny led more than a dozen couples celebrating wedding anniversaries in a renewal of vows. Three couples who had been married by the archbishop were present, including Mike and Connie Murphy, who met on the bishop’s jubilee pilgrimage in the year 2000.

After the Mass, pilgrims boarded buses to visit the Normandy beaches. Sobering stops at Pointe du Hoc and the U.S. Military Cemetery gave pilgrims the opportunity to remember the sacrifices made for freedom during World War II. The rain, mixed with sunshine, was not unwelcome on this day of remembrance.

In the afternoon, pilgrims visited the family home of the Buisonnets, where St. Thérèse grew up. The next day, the group boarded buses to Paris, where they got on a high-speed train bound for Lyon. The train reached speeds of up to 180 miles per hour.

The pilgrims set out for Paray-le-Monial and Ars. Paray is home to the spread of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The town of Ars is home to St. John Vianney, patron saint of parish priests. St. John spent up to seventeen hours a day in the confessional and drew people from all over.
Pilgrims stood in line to write the names of their parish priests and priests whom they know in the book of intentions for priests.

The next day, pilgrims spent most of the day traveling by train and by bus to Lourdes, the heart of the pilgrimage. Mary’s apparition here to St. Bernadette in 1858 led to the construction of one of the world’s most magnificent shrines and places of pilgrimage. Lourdes attracts more than two million pilgrims each year. During this 150th anniversary year, shrine officials are expecting more than six million visitors.

A broken-down bus delayed the arrival of the pilgrims, but still allowed time for a quick meal and the famous nighttime candlelight procession. Every pilgrim held a lighted candle. The rosary was prayed by the 20,000 people gathered this night. Marian hymns were sung, and the sick were honored and blessed in a procession around the sanctuary grounds.

The shrine is built into and on top of a small mountain. A river runs alongside the entire sanctuary grounds. Around the shrine and out of sight from the main plaza, tucked away in the back bottom corner of the mountain, is the small grotto where Mary appeared to Bernadette. The pilgrims from Portland celebrated Sunday Mass at the sacred place.

After the Mass, pilgrims took the jubilee year walking pilgrimage through the town of Lourdes. The pilgrimage route finished at the Grotto, where more than a dozen pilgrims joined in the long lines for the baths.

After a free afternoon to pray and visit the shrine, pilgrims enjoyed a nice meal together and many participated in the nighttime candlelight procession. The next day, pilgrims flew to Paris for the final days of their journey together.

On the flight to Paris from Lourdes, a 38-year-old man, who was not with the Portland pilgrimage group, experienced a heart attack on the airplane. One of the Portland pilgrims, Monica Allen, who is the daughter of pilgrim Clark Smith and an emergency room nurse, saved the life of the man whose heart had stopped and who had stopped breathing. CPR, mouth to mouth and the use of defibrillators were used to bring the man back. Monica was hailed as a heroine.

Upon arrival in Paris, an afternoon bus tour of Paris took the pilgrims to Monmartre, atop which sits the basilica of Sacre Coeur. Pilgrims enjoyed the incredible view of all of Paris from the steps of the basilica. After an evening Mass at the beautiful church of St. Clotilde, pilgrims spent the night at their hotel near the Eiffel Tower.

On Wednesday, pilgrims had Mass at the church of San Sulpice and then made a brief visit to the Pantheon, burial place of many famous French people. Afterwards, pilgrims fought the crowds in the renowned Louvre museum to witness the world’s most famous painting — the Mona Lisa by Leonarda da Vinci.

Pilgrims also visited the shrine of the Miraculous Medal on the Rue de Bac, where Mary appeared to St. Catherine Laboure in 1830. Following Mass, pilgrims visited the beautiful Cathedral of Notre Dame. It is more than 700 years old and took 87 years to complete.

On their final night in France, pilgrims enjoyed a dinner cruise on the River Seine. As the pilgrims floated past the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and Notre Dame Cathedral, they enjoyed a lovely evening with a beautiful sunset, fine food, good conversation, wonderful music and even some dancing. The pilgrims thanked Archbishop Vlazny and presented him with the gift of a rosary.