Lourdes Pilgrimage, 21-28 August 2026

Published by Charlie Bohan-Hurst on October 20, 2025

Those Seeking Spiritual Renewal:

If you feel a need to deepen your faith, find peace, or seek direction.
Anyone Carrying a Burden:

Whether it’s illness, grief, anxiety, or the weight of past mistakes, Lourdes is a place to lay those burdens down.

We particularly welcome our Assisted Pilgrims, who are at the heart of the pilgrimage.
The Curious and the Doubtful:

You don’t need perfect faith to go. Many pilgrims arrive with questions and find that the experience provides unexpected answers.
Volunteers and Carers:

Many people find their calling in serving the sick and elderly pilgrims — our assisted pilgrims — an incredibly rewarding experience.

The Diocese of East Anglia is blessed to have many healthcare professionals.

The core reasons for visiting Lourdes remain unchanged and are the foundation of any pilgrimage:

The Apparitions of Our Lady:

In 1858, the Virgin Mary appeared 18 times to a young, poor girl named Bernadette Soubirous in the Grotto of Massabielle.

This event transformed Lourdes from a sleepy town into one of the world’s most important Marian shrines.
Healing and Grace:

Millions of pilgrims visit seeking spiritual, emotional, and physical healing.

The atmosphere of prayer, the rituals, and the presence of the sick and vulnerable create a unique environment of grace and compassion.
The Lourdes Water:

During the apparitions, Mary showed Bernadette a spring. This water has been associated with countless miracles and healings.

The water gesture and, for some, the opportunity to visit the baths is a central and deeply moving ritual for many pilgrims.
The Sacraments:

The opportunity to participate in daily Mass, the Blessing of the Sick, the Eucharistic Procession, and the Torchlight Procession provides a powerful rhythm of prayer and community.
The 150th Anniversary of the Consecration of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (1876–2026):

Constructed between 1862 and 1871 and consecrated in 1876, it was the second of the churches to be completed at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes.

The church was built on top of the rock above the Lourdes grotto and next to the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary.