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[[Image:Mary at Lourdes.jpg|left]]

[[Image:Mary at Lourdes.jpg|left]]

'''Lourdes''', France, is the site of a shrine to [[Virgin Mary|Mary]], the mother of [[Jesus]], in honor of a reported series of 18 apparitions in 1858 by her to Bernadette Soubirous, a 14-year-old peasant girl. [[Miraculous]] healings were attributed to wading in a spring that appeared.  By 1862 the local authorities of the [[Catholic Church]] had recognized the belief by building a church above the grotto.

'''Lourdes''', France, is the site of a shrine to [[Virgin Mary|Mary]], the mother of [[Jesus]], who is believed by Catholic Christians to have appeared there on eighteen different occasions in 1858 to Bernadette Soubirous, a 14-year-old peasant girl. [[Miraculous]] healings have been attributed to wading in a spring that appeared at the site.  By 1862 the local authorities of the [[Catholic Church]] had recognized the belief by building a church above the grotto.

From 1883 to 1901 there was the construction of a magnificent church named the Church of the [[Rosary]], which is the destination of millions of pilgrims, many seeking cures for ailments or conversion by submerging oneself into the soothing spring.

From 1883 to 1901 a magnificent new church named the Church of the [[Rosary]] was constructed. It is the destination of millions of pilgrims, many seeking cures for ailments by wading in or submerging themselves in water from the spring.  The Catholic Church has authenticated only a few of the many claimed cures.

In 1907 [[Pope St. Pius X]] established feast of Our Lady of Lourdes throughout the entire [[Catholic Church]].<ref>John  A. Hardon, S.J., "Modern Catholic Dictionary" (1999).</ref>

In 1907 [[Pope St. Pius X]] established feast of Our Lady of Lourdes throughout the entire [[Catholic Church]].<ref>John  A. Hardon, S.J., "Modern Catholic Dictionary" (1999).</ref>

'''Prayer'''

'''Prayer'''