We had a relaxing and solemn Saturday in Lourdes. The weather was quite lovely, yet windy. We went to Tenebrae again in the morning, and later went to see the jail house where Saint Bernadette Soubirous lived with her family, totalling 6 people. Due to extreme poverty and homelessness they were forced to move into the single jail cell, occupying the small room between all 6 of them. We got to see the room and go in, making for a really humbling experience. We are far more blessed than we realize.
We participated in the rosary at the grotto again, as we had every other day. But this time, I ended up with some bird poop on my poncho! It wasn’t the finest moment of the trip, but thankfully it was just a small amount. Another lady took the brunt of it, unfortunately for her. I had gone to a cute little bakery and after butchering the order in French, the employee kindly said, “in here we speak English!” As funny as it was, it was also humbling to say the least. But not even 1 minute after leaving we met a woman who was teaching us French and we taught her English. Everyone in Lourdes has been so friendly and kind!
We went to the Easter Vigil Mass, which was nothing short of amazing. It began with a procession outside. A giant fire was lit in front of the Rosary Basilica, and there were over 60 priests present. We estimate about 15 thousand people were there, but honestly it was so hard to gauge. Everyone lit their candles and process inside the underground basilica in silence. Inside there were so many people we had no where to sit, so we sat on the floor or stood most of the time. The choir was outstanding, with trumpets and an organ to top it off. It was a stunning Mass that we will never forget.
Ta-ta for now! God Bless,
Hannah and Tony
