Monday, February 11, 2008

Grotto of Lourdes in Emmitsburg, Maryland

I just returned from a brief but refreshing pilgrimage to the Grotto of Lourdes in Emmitsburg, Maryland. I have written of the Grotto before, as a spot favored by St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. I went there this past weekend with my mother to pray for some special intentions and gain the Lourdes Jubilee Indulgence. The Grotto is a serene and beautiful spot even in the dead of winter. We were amazed at all the youth groups who were there, praying. On Saturday, there was Mass followed by confessions and Adoration. I confessed to an elderly priest, Fr. George Reed, whom I remembered from high school days. He had given me some helpful spiritual direction when I was seventeen; there he was at the Grotto, still hearing confessions after so many years. There are few things quite like a pilgrimage for putting everything in perspective. Here is an article from the chaplain, Fr. Jack, about a family from Kabul who recently visited the Grotto. People come from all over to St. Mary's Mountain in order to find healing, peace, and inspiration.

UPDATE: The Grotto was vandalized over the weekend. How terrible.

Meanwhile, 70,000 pilgrims celebrate the 150 anniversary of the first apparition in Lourdes, France. Share