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Which is the most famous of all Marian shrines?
Mary came wearing a white veil, dressed in a white robe tied with a blue sash. This is how Our Lady of Lourdes is most recognized. The message of Our Lady of Lourdes is primarily about the healing mercy of God. From a miraculous spring flow healing waters. But Lourdes is also about the need for prayer and penance.
And that is part of her message, given to the world at Lourdes. In Our Lady's ninth apparition to Bernadette she said, "Penance, penance, penance, pray for sinners." Our Blessed Mother spoke words teaching of the merits of prayer, penance, poverty and the church.
To read about the apparition of Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Bernadette, click here. |
On
February 11, 1858, the most beautiful of all women, the Blessed Virgin
Mary, appeared to a poor, sickly peasant girl of Lourdes, France. Bernadette
Soubirous was only 14 years old and knew little about her Catholic faith.
But, she knew instantly when she was in the presence of a heavenly woman. So
she kneeled, quickly pulled out her
At
Lourdes, Mary also appeared with a golden (or yellow) rose on each of her
feet. What could be the meaning of this? The color gold is a symbol for
royalty. Mary, is Queen of Heaven and Earth. But in a later Marian
apparition, .gif)
Just
last year (August 14-15, 2004), Pope John Paul II visited the Shrine of
Lourdes. He conferred a rare papal honor on the Marian sanctuary –