Has anyone here visited Lourdes, France?

i don't want to take your hope or faith away, but...

i was there once, and found it to be a horrible place. just like santiago de compostella. no magic, no tranquility, only busloads of ill people deluding themselves into thinking there is a miracle reserved for them. it is a huge commercial religious fair, shaped like a town, a tourist trap.

if your mother wants a nice european religious place to visit in her last days, i'd highly recommend Assisi in italy (the town of saint Francis of Assisi): very quiet and peaceful, also busloads of tourists during summer, not many tourist stalls, active churches where tourists are actively silenced, lots of exhibitions and meaningfull activities on the side. very pleasant town on a foothill in the perugian countryside. plenty of magic! but not known for miracles...
[link to en.wikipedia.org]

I have not but have heard of so much. Lourdes and Fatima. I know a person who spiritually changed and dedicated the rest of his life to Our Lady.

If you mom wants to go, take her now. Don't wait. Take advantage of all the blessings before its too late.

I only wish I could go.

my mother's dying wish...Get her there, if you can financially.


TV Lourdes non stop
[link to en.lourdes-france.org]

Last Edited by chumpisme on 01/23/2013 07:48 AM

That is my feeling as well and I worry because taking her to a place with large crowds might do her more ill than good but I think my mother is hoping for a miracle. I will also look up assisi, maybe we can do a tour with her. Thank you very much for your insight!

it's also winter now, and weather can be rough in the pyrenees mountains.

Yes without a doubt we will take her. I was hoping maybe someone had some advice on how to make the trip easier for her because she is already quite fragile and I would wish that this trip will be peaceful for her. She doesn't understand that it will be very crowded, especially in May when she wants to go.

Thank you very much for the video site! It's very helpful as I can let her watch it.

Yes she wants to go in May for her birthday. She keeps saying she feels it will be her last

sorry OP about your mom.

Do your best to take her :)

it might help her mentality and will to live! :)

Thank you! I am not much of a believer of such things however I am a great believer that happiness cures many ailments. My concern for this trip is that she will be happy and hassle free.

Hi OP, have a look at this weblink to.
[link to en.lourdes-france.org]
It might help you in your endeavour.
Kindest regards to your Mother and I sincerely hope that whatever you do for her helps her in this, her time of need.

ive passed through a few times on the way to bareges - in the mountains

this is a very sweet mountain village a few miles south of the col de tourmalet ( high point of the tour de france)~45 min drive from lourdes

its stairs and steep roads but it has a beautiful bath house with thermal springs -very rejuvenating (napoleon used to rest his troops there post battle )

lourdes is a bit neon for me- shops with flashing jesus's
buses queueing , a lot of tourists in big guided tours

lots of wheelchair access but i would try and get to a service if you can - and then stay in bareges if it's feasible

I went there a few years back in the winter time around February. No crowds, very intimate setting but very cold at the time. Almost no tourists at that time of year. Our family was able to pray at the shrine of our lady late at night alone with hardly a soul around. Personally, I had a very brief "mind snapshot" vision of our lady that I'll never forget. It's personal so I won't mention it here.
My wife went to be cured of cancer, she had 2 lumps in her breast that she had to have taken out. She wanted to be spared chemotherapy. Needless to say, she's very religious and got the answer she was looking for: She felt very strongly that she wouldn't have to take chemotherapy but she'd have to have the lumps removed. She had her left breast removed and never took chemo. That was 6 years ago with no relapse since.
Lourdes is a beautiful place and has a beautiful story behind it. Read the book about Saint Bernadette of Lourdes when you have a chance and go there to pray some time and possibly be cured. That's what it's there for and it's as relevant today as it was 150 years ago. God's works are eternal, timeless.

Thank you! How kind!

Don't bother it's bullshit.

Thank you! It's nice to learn these options! It helps our plans take shape.

That is wonderful to hear about your wife! I am quite skeptical and even reject a lot about religion however my heart outweighs my mind where my mother is involved. I worry a little inside that this trip might take a lot out of her, she's almost 90 and fragile but at the same time she looks like a child when she talks about visiting Lourdes. So hopeful and almost innocent. She is very traditional Catholic and like your wife, believes in miracles more than doctors. I cannot fault that because I am convinced that there is more to our lives than we know.
I will tell her your story when I speak with her. She will be very happy!

Thank you!

Like I mentioned, the trip is for my mother. My beliefs have very little to do with it. Have you been?

lots of wheelchair access but i would try and get to a service if you can - and then stay in bareges if it's feasible


Thank you for this tip!

Tree landpoint meme.

Someone is licking the landpoint...


There are huge amounts of rock there for concrete.

Check this out from the New York Times : [link to lens.blogs.nytimes.com]

doesnt matter if its bullshit

mom wants it

let mom have it

Many thanks! This was touching!

There are Catholic organizations that cater for ill people and organize trips there. Contact your local Catholic parish op Im sure they can give you a contact address and or number. It would be so much easier for you as they provide nurses and carers during the trip and stay there

I have lots of Italian friends that do volunteer work for this organization that takes ill people to Lourdes. I think if you contact the linbk they will be able to help.
If you mother is ill I would advise you to do the trip and the stay there under supervised professional care. They can help you I think.
Blessings

[link to www.unitalsi.it]

Thank you very much!!

I agree with Dr. A. You should take her.

I have been there. I went with friends and we took our own rental car. It is down into a small area from mountains, like a big ravine. There's no place to park, so have someone drop you at the grotto and circle around. Because it is small it is difficult for maneuvering and tons of buses with tourists go there. It is repulsive how commercialized it is. It would make Our Lady of Lourdes cry. It took me aback.



Last Edited by abeliever on 03/07/2013 10:30 PM