The Fruits of Pilgrimage and Service

The fruits of pilgrimage manifests itself in many beautiful but different ways, such as peace, healing in families or relationships and acceptance. We always say that no one leaves Lourdes empty-handed. Our Lady knows the grace each of us are in greatest need and she is generous. Just as grace upon grace continue to flow from the spring in the Grotto, so too the grace of pilgrimage flows from the hearts of pilgrims to those who we encounter and love at home.

It is our blessing to share with you two very special fruits of pilgrimage to Lourdes shared with us this year:

A calling to a holy vocation, inner healing and witness to the dignity of life: Volunteer 2014, Final Profession of Vows August 2023

”I was so moved by the way the sick were treated– at the front of the procession like the VIPs. In my heart, I knew this was a representation of the Kingdom of God, where the least are the greatest! I was so grateful for the opportunity to accompany pilgrims– and learned so much in the adoration chapel, as Our Lord was whispering to my heart ever more each day. By the end of the trip, the desire that had been growing in my heart for religious life was most powerful.”

Profound Peace: Tony, Pilgrim 2023

“I told friends and family I was on pilgrimage to Lourdes to find peace. I thought I could capture that peace in a few photographs, or drops of water, or a rosary purchased from a vendor in town. I thought that peace would be the absence of illness. In the end, that peace washed over me like a soft rain, day after day, wherever I looked, whatever I did… All these people volunteer, pay their own way to be here, to take care of us, to bring our needs to Lourdes, to our Blessed Mother, to Jesus Christ, Redeemer and King. Peace. I saw it in the face of my wife and daughter. At different times, their faces seemed to glow. Peace. I don’t know that I’ve been cured. But I know that I have been healed. A voice called my name and said so. The Voice of Peace, the Word Incarnate, cascades and cradles all who come here. Come to Lourdes and see for yourself.”