There is also the Basilica of St Puis X where many large ceremonies are held here, so many pilgrims attend a ceremony here. There is a Church dedicated to St. Bernadette around the same area which has many convention rooms. Also there is a Chapel dedicated to St. Bernadette, it’s here at the altar that the Eucharist and other services for the sick are conducted.
There is also an Adoration Chapel where people can go to be quiet, this is good because it is a peaceful place to meditate and prey.
On a pilgrimage you may also want to see the procession at Lourdes, here two ceremonies take place, the Blessed Sacrament procession at 16.30 which is the most meaningful and fundamental of all the functions at Lourdes. It starts at the Grotto and slowly moves from here down along the river Gave, across the esplanade and ends in the space in front of the Rosary basilica where they have a short blessing for divine help (a benediction), this is like a guide, it is meant as an invitation to walk with Christ through life even in the difficult and winding parts. The other procession is one of faith and light and is called the torchlight procession. The only difference from the Blessed Sacrament procession is that the route ends with the singing of the “Salve Regina” which is one of the four Marian antiphons, it can be sung as a prayer to the Virgin Mary. Then this procession also has a benediction. This is an attempt to remind pilgrims of the meaning of their baptism and therefore recreate it and the journey of every believer towards God.
There are many big events which reinforce the importance of the shrine as an exceptional meeting place for the church. For example, the International Military Pilgrimage. ?
Explain why some Christians go on pilgrimage and the effect that this might have on them
A Pilgrimage is a journey which a Christian takes, both spiritually and physically, in is also an inward journey.
Christians go on pilgrimages for many different reasons. Most people’s reasons for going are different but many want to become closer to God. A pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place so many people will go to feel the holiness of the place and therefore feel closer to God for doing this or another relic, for example many people will go to Lourdes because they believe that the Virgin Mary did appear to Bernadette and they want to visit the same place where they believe she has been because this will make them feel closer to her and therefore make their faith seem stronger.
A pilgrimage also brings you closer to God because you are in a new place and things can become clearer.
If a pilgrim does think that in a place of pilgrimage they are closer to God, they may go to a place of pilgrimage to seek God’s forgiveness (penance) because journeying to a sacred place shows devotion. It also shows God they are truly sorry for the sins they have committed.
In Lourdes many people have claimed when they drank form the water there or bathed in it that they were healed of their disease or illness. All of these claims of miracles have been thoroughly checked and the evidence does suggest some healing powers, therefore some people may go on pilgrimages to ask and hopefully receive God’s help, for a relative or for them to be cured for illness and some may also see this as God clearing them of all their sins.
A Pilgrimage could also be a source of inspiration so Pilgrims could be seeking a new Perspective on their religion or life in general and if they are provided with this from their spiritual journey it could make them a stronger Christian and give them a better perspective on life, showing God they love and believe in him. Also if they are singers or writers the inspiration could provide them something to sing or write about.
Some people are searching for advice from God and help in other aspects of life for example you could be searching for a cure for disease of a way to stop global warming. Or a Pilgrim could be on a spiritual path and visiting a Sacred Place for example Lourdes could bring them closer to what they are looking for, they might even want to follow in the footsteps of Bernadette.
You could go on a Pilgrimage for no reason at all other than a feeling or your intuition; this could even be a message form God telling you to do so. The outcome of this is that you could find a new faith and a new outlook on life. Some people could even go to a place of pilgrimage to help others for example many people travel to Lourdes with the sick or disabled so they can visit Lourdes, this could be in commitment to God or just to be a good person. In doing this you could either show devotion to your faith and commitment to the practice and idea of pilgrimage.
A Pilgrimage can also help you find peace, which can help you become a better person and can make you are more committed Christian.
Personally I think the main reason people go on Pilgrimages is because they want to be closer to God and a Pilgrimage.
“There are more important things to do than go on Pilgrimage”
I can see why there are more important things to do than go on a pilgrimage because you can worship God anywhere, so it is a waste of time and money to go to Lourdes for example. Also some people might think it a waste of time because there is no proof that Bernadette did actually see The Virgin Mary. So if this is the case it is the same as worshiping her anywhere.
Also a Pilgrimage could cost a lot of money and this money could be better spent elsewhere, for example it could be invested into the church where it could be better spent and this could also mean that they are helping others which would mean that they are following the word of God therefore being closer to him which is one of the main reasons people go on a pilgrimage in the first place. Or the money could be given to charity and help make a cure for cancer which some people may say in the long run is a lot more effective way of spending money. It could be seen as a more Christian way of doing things because a Pilgrimage could be described as selfish because it is purely for yourself, whereas if you gave the money to charity or to your local church lots of people can benefit. This can make you a better person and bring you closer to God through such a selfless act. This will therefore increase your faith.
One of the reasons to go on a Pilgrimage is to get change of scenery to increase your faith, however some people may argue that this could be done better if you go to a country in poverty for example Malawi and help out there by building schools or churches for the children there, people could argue this is a better way to spend your time.
However you could disagree with this statement because a pilgrimage is very important to a person’s faith and they feel that they need to go on one also because it will bring them closer to God and if they have done this they can be a better person and help people. They also many feel they must go on a pilgrimage to repent their sins and fell that just doing this in a church is not enough. A Pilgrimage also shows devotion which some people may say cannot be shown otherwise. It is therefore very important for Christians to do. A Pilgrimage will show love and respect to God and is therefore important.
In conclusion I do agree with this statement because I think the pros outweigh the cons and I believe you can show commitment to God without going on a pilgrimage.
