THE SIGNS. The rock, the light, the water, the crowds, the sicks and the helpers are signs of Lourdes.
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Spiritually, in the Bible, the Rock symbolises trust in God, the stone on which the Church is built, the solid word on which we lean. Although the current health crisis does currently allow us to touch the Rock, you can make this gesture in your heart at the feet of the Virgin Mary.
The act of drinking water is one of the highlights of the pilgrim's journey to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes. The volunteers of the Hospitalité Notre-Dame de Lourdes welcome you and guide you through this important moment linked to the ninth apparition: “Go and drink and wash at the fountain”.
Since 1858, when a 14-year-old peasant named Bernadette Soubirous proclaimed she had had 18 encounters with the Virgin Mary, Lourdes has become one of the most visited sites by Catholics in the world. Lourdes has a special appeal for the fragile and the weak, including wounded military personnel.
Lourdes Water comes from the Miraculous Spring in the GrottoShortly after the first pilgrimages began Louis Bouriette was cured. He had lost his vision and washed in the miraculous water where he regained his vision. On April 24, 1858 work was carried out to build a pool to capture the miraculous water.
Ever since, Lourdes water has been supplied to the Sanctuary's taps. It's free of charge and easy to access, and many pilgrims are keen to bring some back home. Its miraculous nature is down to faith. This is not holy water as it's sometimes called: the water from the Spring can only be blessed by a priest.
The water is highly symbolic at the Sanctuary and is ever-present on the pilgrim trail in Lourdes. You will find it in the Grotto of Apparitions, and also access it at the various taps and in the Baths.