Blog
St. Bernadette’s Body Is Incorrupt — and Her Holiness Still Inspires Millions
We invite you to read a new article written by our founder, Marlene F. Watkins about St. Bernadette before, during, and after the apparitions. The article ends with how St. Bernadette's... mission continues “in the happiness of the other world.”...
Blessed St. Bernadette Feast Day
On the afternoon of April 16, 1879, at approximately 3:15, Bernadette Soubirous—known as Sister Marie-Bernard within her religious order—passed away in the Sainte Croix (Holy Cross) Infirmary at the Convent of Saint-Gildard in Nevers, France. She was thirty-five years...
Marlene Watkins on Life on the Rock
Marlene Watkins was a guest on EWTN's Life on the Rock television show this past Sunday with Fr. John Paul Mary, MFVA. The two had a conversation about Lourdes, healing, grace, and miracles. This is part one of a two-part series. Part two will air on Sunday, April...
Blessed Solemnity of the Annunciation
At the Annunciation, the angel reveals to Mary that she would conceive Jesus in her womb by the power of the Holy Spirit. Our Lady gives her “Fiat”—her heartfelt “yes” to this divine favor and the will of God. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us! With God there...
Feast of St. Joseph: A Holy Widowhood for Our Lady
We began our Lenten journey with the words, "Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return." We all will pass from this life to the next. Where are we going and how will we get there? St. Joseph is our patron for a holy death; tradition holds that he died...
March Monthly Family Rosary
PRAY WITH US! The second Saturday of every month is special to our Lourdes Volunteer family. It is a time when we can all come together to pray! We welcome you to "play" https://youtu.be/_m9ZzMYSy7U We welcome you to attend our next Family Rosary which will be held on...
Lourdes Volunteers invited to EWTN in Irondale, AL
On February 25th, 2025, Marlene Watkins was invited to be a guest on two popular EWTN television shows! Fr. John Paul Mary Zeller, MFVA invited Marlene Watkins to film two episodes on Life on the Rock focusing on the blessings that flow from Lourdes as everyday...
The Catholic Voice of the Archdiocese of Omaha writes about God’s love found anew as Nebraskans travel to Lourdes
We invite you to read this beautiful article written by Susan Szalewski from The Catholic Voice of the Archdiocese of Omaha. This article shares how members of a Nebraskan community unite in Holy Lourdes and become a pilgrimage family and the graces that flow from...
Lourdes Letter Winter 2024
We invite you to read our Winter 2024 Lourdes Letter in its digital format. Click on this link to open and read our Winter 2024 Lourdes Letter
MARLENE WATKINS SPEAKS AT ST. LOUIS MARIAN CONFERENCE
Marlene Watkins, author of the best-selling book "Everyday Miracle of Lourdes," was a featured speaker at the 25th Annual St. Louis Marian Conference held on May 17-19, 2024. With over 1,200 faithful in attendance, Marlene was one of the three lay speakers on the...
Top 10 Return to France Travel Tips!
RETURN TO FRANCE TOP 10 Return to Travel Tips: 1. FLEXI IS OUR NEW WAY! Reserve-FLEXI, Preserve-FLEXI, Regarde-FLEXI, Accepte-FLEXI, Disponible-FLEXI, and EMBRACE YOUR FLEXIBILITY! Flexibility is the newest virtue and can help us toward holiness! Bernadette...
Prayer Petitions Delivered to the Grotto!
RETURN TO FRANCE Prayer Petitions Delivered to the Grotto “Je n’oublierai person.” (I will not forget anyone.) —Ste. Bernadette Soubirous In Nevers, when asked to pray for so many people, Bernadette replied that she would forget no one—and she surely keeps...
Return to France!
RETURN TO FRANCE TOP 10 NOTABLES:1. Everyone is HAPPY for us to return to travel and to France! Lots of smiles behind all of those masks! 2. Fare increases! Tickets can be more expensive. Buy early! Changes without fee, so far… full flights! 3. Paperwork is required!...
Have Lourdes Come to You!
Meet Our New Website For the past several weeks we have been working hard to update our website, giving our homepage a new look and developing new ways to convey information on all that we do. Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for you to find information on...
Marlene Watkins Named One of OSV’s 2015 Catholics of the Year
Marlene Watkins, President and Foundress of Lourdes Volunteers, was named by Our Sunday Visitor as one of their 2015 Catholics of the Year. For her founding and continued leadership of Lourdes Volunteers, which serves the sick in Lourdes, brings the sick to Lourdes,...
Read the Latest Lourdes Letter!
The latest edition of our newsletter, Lourdes Letter, is now available! Take a look to keep up with the work we've been doing and the blessings that abound as we continue, with your help, to live our mission to extend the invitation of the Immaculate Conception as...
Register Now for 2016 Conference
The 2016 Volunteer and Medical Professional Conference will be held March 4-6 in Miami, Florida! Together, we'll explore the unique ways in which we discover God's mercy in caring for the sick and disabled in Lourdes, learning invaluable insights from experienced...
Unite in Prayer for Healing
On Monday, November 16, all those present in Lourdes - pilgrims, volunteers, chaplains and the Sanctuary staff - united in the Grotto in a moment of silent prayer for peace. We ask today for you to join us and our friends in Lourdes by continuing to pray for peace and...
Love Without Measure
Accurate measurement can be the final difference between profit and loss to small businesses. For the Soubirous family in 19th century, drought-stricken southern France, weights and measures must have been a defining factor in the loss of their small mill. Measurement...
Feast of the Annunciation and the 16th Apparition at Lourdes
I am the Immaculate Conception Today, we honor the Feast of the Annunciation and anniversary of the apparition when Our Lady revealed her identity to Bernadette in the Grotto at Lourdes saying: "I am the Immaculate Conception." The March 25th Feast of the...
Ash Wednesday, Lent & Third Apparition
A Heavenly Request and Promise On Thursday, February 18, 1858, the day after Ash Wednesday, Our Lady spoke to Bernadette for the first time. She requested to meet for fifteen days and made a promise of happiness--not of this world, but of the other world. With the...
Feast Day of Our Lady of Lourdes
Joyous Feast Day of Our Lady of Lourdes &the World Day of the Sick ~ February 11, 2015 We invite you to pray with us to Our Lady of Lourdes on her Feast Day! Ever immaculate Virgin, Mother of mercy, health of the sick, refuge of sinners, comfort of the afflicted,...
In the Footsteps of Bernadette
US Military, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Dallas Archdioceses, Albany and Santa Rosa Diocese. Today, we “walked” in Bernadette’s’ shoes. We visited the mill where she was born. We learned about her family being very, very poor—not like middle class—poor and being...
International Mass
“What an awesome day!” We started with the International Mass in the Basilica of St. Pius X Underground Basilica. It was built in 1958 at the 100th anniversary at Lourdes and is shaped like Noah’s Ark. It’s cool that 25,000 people can fit in this Church. Many of...
Happy Birthday St. Bernadette
On January 7, 1844, in the little town of Lourdes, the first child of Francois and Louise Soubirous was born. She was named in honor of her aunt and was affectionately called Bernadette. In 1858, the Mother of God appeared to little Bernadette 18 times in the Grotto...
Capitol Gain
In the middle of the power of Washington D.C. is the stately Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the largest Catholic Church in North America and one of the ten largest Catholic Churches in the whole world. Where is that Lourdes Grotto in the...
Follow That Star!
Three men without a GPS don’t ask for directions to find an unknown manger... Is this a Christmas Miracle? There was an illuminated path for them to find their way to honor the Christ Child and there is lighted way for us to keep on the road to kneel before Christ......
Guadalupe Joy
“Am I not the fountain of your joy?” The Mother of God to Juan Diego. In 1531 the Mother of God appeared to St. Juan Diego at Tepeyac Hill. “I am the Virgin Mary, Mother of the one true God, of Him who gives life. He is Lord and Creator of heaven and of earth. I...
Immaculate Conception
How good of a mother would the Most Holy Blessed Trinity create to be the Mother of God? How pure? How perfect? How much grace? Compared to all other women? Like night and day? Mary was conceived without sin the pure vessel to bring forth the Christ. Would any woman...
ADVENT-ure
The tragedy begins—the door to Eternal Happiness is slammed shut by Adam and Eve. Trillions of days and trillions upon trillions of suffering times later, God so loves us that He is sending His Son to open the door for us... Are we ready for this arrival? The Advent...