A rosary in the footsteps of millions of pilgrims
By Isabella H. de Carvalho - Lourdes
Every evening from April to November, the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes comes to life with a torchlit rosary and procession.
On September 27 a special pilgrim participated in this devotion. Pope Leo solemnly walked in the footsteps of the millions of faithful that have done so before him, carrying in their hearts their hopes, sorrows and struggles, in this beloved Marian shrine known for being a place of healing.
And as the Successor of Peter, the leader of the Catholic Church, the Pope carried with him the worries, tensions, divisions and conflicts touching our world today.
“How moving it is to see the faithful, from one generation to the next, respond with love and trust to the tender invitation of the Virgin Mary. How consoling it is to hear Christians sing hymns filled with fervor and faith, and to see them walk, with a light in their hands, towards their Mother in Heaven, the Mother whom Jesus gave us from the Cross,” he said in his address. “I give thanks to the Lord that I, too, may respond this evening to the call of our Mother, becoming a pilgrim among pilgrims.”
Shortly after the clocks of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception chimed at 9pm, he started the procession from the Grotto of Massabielle, where the Virgin Mary appeared to St. Bernadette, followed by the papal delegation and then a large crowd made up of bishops, priests, shrine volunteers, families and more.
He slowly made his way around the Shrine and down the long esplanade that faces it to the forecourt of the Shrine. Leading the way was the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes which is always used in this torchlit procession.
Thousands of pilgrims accompanied him, reciting Our Fathers and Hail Mary's, rosary and candles in hand, from behind the metal barriers that had been set up. Some knelt on the ground, others stood or sat on foldable chairs they had brought from home. Many were in wheelchairs with blankets wrapped around them.
From above the crowd, one could only see the twinkle of the flames. The rosary was alternated with sung hymns and those gathered would at times lift up their candles all together. “The light that guides us and draws us onward is the light of hope," the Pope said, "which never abandons us even as we journey through this life."
If the “miracle of finding serenity and joy amidst suffering” is possible, he added, “it is because God grants us the grace to perceive the life-giving presence of the risen Christ among us.”
“He enables us to look beyond our earthly horizon towards a more distant future,” the Pope emphasized, and, citing St. Paul, he reminded all those present that "the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us”
This feast was instituted by Pope St. Pius V in thanksgiving for the great naval victory over the Turks at the battle of Lepanto on this day in the year 1570, a favor due to the recitation of the Rosary. This victory saved Europe from being overrun by the forces of Islam.