There are different types of pilgrimage such as, Christians believe that if they go on a pilgrimage they can become one with god and bond with him. Also this can lead to spiritual enlightenment. Also people go with friends for support or to help others, which is also a type of pilgrimage.
The Lourdes story begins in 1858, when a poor 14-year-old French girl saw a ghostly woman in white, in a shallow cave near the town. Over a month, Bernadette saw the woman eight times. The vision said she was the Virgin Mary, she said she wanted a chapel built on the site and for people to come in procession, and she revealed a spring.
From the very early days, the spring water showed miraculous qualities. First, a woman with a paralysed hand was healed. More cures followed and the crowds haven't stopped since.
Today they come by train, as well as plane and coach, on pilgrimage to Bernadette's grotto. So many are ill they've had to build several hospitals to help care for them while they're here. Lourdes is a strange place. The narrow, windy streets leading to the grotto area are packed with gift shops full of religious rubbish: plastic water bottles in the shape of Mary, pictures of Christ being crucified with eyes that blink, and religious alarm clocks. This can ruin the experience as it can make Lourdes look tacky.
Even descendants of Bernadette's family own a gift shop there.
Wesley Gregory 11P
