What is involved in Christian pilgrimage? Illustrate the different approaches to pilgrimage referring to two or more places of pilgrimage.

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R.E. Coursework                                Alan Gillingwater 11s

Question 1

What is involved in Christian pilgrimage? Illustrate the different approaches to pilgrimage referring to two or more places of pilgrimage.

Pilgrimage is a journey that that many Christians take. It is a journey a physical place of importance; this could be somewhere, which an important event in Christianity happened. However pilgrimage is also a more inward, spiritual journey as well.  It is an important part of Christian life, and many Christians go on pilgrimage to various places. At different centres of pilgrimage vastly different approaches are taken on the role of pilgrimage.

        Lourdes is a relatively recent pilgrimage site, which has a different approach to the more traditional pilgrimage sites. Lourdes is an area in which is devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary and this is whom visitors focus on. At Lourdes there was a significant apparition. A girl called Bernadette saw the Virgin Mary and some pilgrims visit Lourdes to also see the Virgin Mary or just feel her presence.

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        An approach to pilgrimage, which is very unique to Lourdes, is the miracles that are claimed to happen. This is one of the reasons why over 2 million pilgrims go to Lourdes every year. A focus at Lourdes is a spring, which is believed to have miraculous healing powers as the Virgin Mary blessed it. Many sick or disabled people come to Lourdes hoping to be healed by God or in some way become empowered to deal with their illness. To do this they visit a place in Lourdes called the grotto, the site of the holy spring, and bathe ...

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