No one has ever thought I’m going to make a heavy pilgrimage. My trip was not what I expected – the Irish Times

My mother was 26 years old when she received a marriage proposal. Needing time to think, she decided to go to Lourdes in the south of France. By making this trip to the sanctuary of Lourdes, where, in 1858, a young woman called Bernadette Soubirous saw an appearance of the Virgin Mary, my mother followed on the path of millions of pilgrims before her, who had come to the sanctuary in search of spiritual or physical healing.

I never asked him for details on his trip, something that I regret deeply now. I am probably, to my shame, I rolled my eyes of disapproval. The decision to get married is always a huge choice of life, but in 1958, there would have been a lot at stake for a woman. My mother should have sacrificed a teaching career because of the “wedding bar” which, until the 1970s, forced women to resign from certain jobs when they married.

Now that she’s gone, the adult I want to know more about my mother’s thoughts during this trip. How was this small town in the south of France been clarity to a woman at a pivotal moment in her life?

While the anniversary of two years of his death is approaching, I surprise myself by suggesting to my sister that we go there on a four -day break with the close friend of my mother Mary Mcelroy. It may be another attempt to fill the huge lake that she left in my life or maybe I want to try to connect to the young woman looking for answers.

Friends and family are amused while I try to explain my motivations. I can’t help but think that my “street credit” is tarnished. Of all the mini-parents offered, nobody, especially me, I never thought of packing my bags for a pilgrimage to Lourdes.

After a two -hour Dublin Ryanair flight, we land in Lourdes at 8 a.m. on a sunny Saturday morning. The city of Lourdes is not what I expected: I thought it could be spare and austere. In fact, my first impression is a pretty French city nestled in the Pyrenees. The River given of Pau who crosses him shines under the morning sun.

Mary has been a retired nurse and has been in Lourdes for many years to work as a volunteer for people living with disabilities and health challenges, so she knows the strings. My plan is that we will spend a day as a pilgrims and the other three days to explore the surrounding areas. But everything changes once we hit the sanctuary of Notre-Dame de Lourdes, where St Bernadette saw his visions of the Virgin Mary.

Mary, our tourist guide in Lourdes, brings us directly to the sanctuary when we arrived. She has a list of “things to do” and we follow her to join the queues to touch the rock where everything has happened.

However, the best part is seated in front of the cave observing the huge crowds, some in trance as they touch the rock. A woman crawls on her hands and knees, her hands moving around the rock while the volunteers push old and young disabled in wheelchair. It is fascinating to look at faith in action.

We then head to the baths. I remember that my mother spoke of having been soaked in an icy water bath that had healing powers. It is always possible to do so under the direction of volunteers; However, we opt for the less extreme version. A volunteer brings us into a small room with a flowed bath. She prays with us then pour water on our hands. She guides us to wash our hands and faces and drink water. She then tells us to pray for any intention. I am desperately looking for a sign of my mother but I do not feel anything yet.

There is a daily film on the life of St Bernadette in the Information Center of the Sanctuary. You can also participate in a tour called “Bernadette’s Foottes” which is an opportunity to discover places that are familiar to her, including the mill where she was born, the building where she lived with her family at the time of the appearances in 1858, the hospice where she was educated by the sisters of Neers, and the parish church where the baptismal police used by her Christinongage is still visible. The St Bernadette Museum tells the story of his life through personal objects and artefacts. You can follow the route alone or be accompanied by a tourist guide.

There are three superb basilicas on the site which are really worth the detour to see their art and architecture and the stained glass and the exceptional mosaics.

We were told that Lourdes was very marketed. Yes, the streets near the cave are bordered by hotels, restaurants, shops selling rosaries, statues and bottles of holy water. But what could be considered sticky in another country seems sophisticated in France. This may be due to the charming streets and the effortless elegance of French sellers.

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There are many ways to explore heavy and the surrounding areas, but most of the cave visitors take the “little train”. This is a 45-minute visit to all the essential places in the city itself and gives you a chance to get your bearings. A stop point is the 100 -year -old funicular who takes tourists in a picturesque journey to the jer’s photo, one of the mountains. At the top, a pedestrian path leads to an observatory with a panoramic view of Lourdes and the Pyrenees.

It is the greatest surprise about Lourdes. It is a perfect base for exploring the Pyrenees National Park with its dramatic peaks, its alpine lakes, its valleys and its mountain villages. Certain protruding facts include Lake Gaube, which you can access with an hour or a chairlift; Cirque de Gavarnie, a huge national amphitheater and one of the largest waterfalls in Europe.

The Pyrenees also house Hautacam, famous as a rise in the Tour de France, and it turns out that our visit coincides with a group of dublin cyclists using Lourdes as a base, spending two nights in the city while taking mountainous bike rides per day.

Everything on Lourdes is connected to the mountains. Only 3 km from the city is Lac du Lourdes. The walk 30 km or by bike around the lake has a breathtaking view of the mountains. It is also a perfect place to cool off with swimming and water activities such as canoeing or standing paddle.

There are many restaurants close to the sanctuary. We opt for a near our accommodation, the New Orleans Café. It serves a simple traditional French cuisine with nice servers and a relaxed atmosphere.

The food is delicious and the local wine in the region falls very well. We also offer ourselves for dinner at Grand Hotel Gallia & London. A highlight being its beautiful garden – the perfect place for a post -dinner cocktail. If you explore the countryside around Lourdes, WelcomeAbout 10 km outside the city, offers a very good outdoor dining area. He is known for his sumptuous desserts. Cantine Lo VetereAn Italian restaurant about 5 to 10 km outside the city, also deserves a visit.

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For pure and hard gourmets, The Halles de Lourdes, With its beautiful architecture, is a must. Here, producers and merchants are happy to invite tourists to taste all food products, including the famous local specialty: Tomme des Pyrénées cheese.

One of the highlights for me is the nightlife procession. Each evening at 9 p.m., from April to October, thousands of pilgrims come together to walk and sing hymns wearing a lit candle. Mary’s hail is recited and avenue Maria sang in different languages. It is difficult to remain insensitive.

When my mother Kathleen returned from Lourdes all these years ago, she accepted the marriage proposal. She married my father Donie on August 14, 1958. They were together for 65 years until her death on July 14, 2023. Our father with a broken heart followed him 11 months later, June 5, 2024.

I do not know what I expected to find in Lourdes … A feeling of peace, a comfort of sorrow, a kind of spiritual awakening perhaps. As I write this on the second anniversary of my mother’s death, I think about what I found. I realize that I have to maintain relationships with people who are always with us, who knew it and loved it. By spending time with them, part of her will always be alive.

How to get there

We paid € 296 for a return flight from Dublin with Ryanair in July 2025. Holidays in Lourdes can also be organized by Abbey Travel (Abbeytravel.ie). The pilgrimages are organized by Joe Walsh Tours (Joewalshtours.Ie) and Barter’s Travelnet (Travelnet.ie)