Valley Of The Moon Lodge #1959

PONDERING THE PAST
An Italian Pilgrimage

My second visit to Italy was in 2002, 40 years after my first visit...yes, things changed ...my cousin Rino said, “in 40 years Italy has caught up with the rest of the world”.
My journey this time took me to Lourdes.
My nephew attended the school “la Nostra Famiglia”in San Vito. They dispensed special permission for me to tag along. We met at the train station, and boarded a Cuccette..(a sleeper train)...our trip to Lourdes France would be a 15 hour train ride. The train was so long they had to leave at 2 different intervals. Our pilgrimage had over 1000 Italians.
One side note...I sat by a lady and showed her some photos my dad had taken on my first trip to Italy...in 1961...she looked through the photos and pointed to a lady she said was her aunt. (go figure)
Our group was assigned 3 ”little sister” nurses. The children on this trip varied in infirmities.
When we arrived in Lourdes....
We took part in a candle light procession, each person was given a candle in a paper holder.
We began singing in front of our Hotel.
Quite an awesome feeling. As we proceeded on to the main Basilica, there was
a serpentine line of many hundreds of people...singing, “Ave Maria”
With candles lit we made for an impressive sight. (they sang in 3 or 4 different languages)
When we arrived in the underground area which holds 20 thousand people...we prepared to go through the Stations of the Cross. They handed me a cross and assigned a Station.
And yet another procession...
Another day, We hiked to a wooded area where they held Mass...You could see the Pyrenees Mountain range from this area.
The mass was all about Living Water...and bringing your cares to the foot of the Cross.
The Grotto...
The entire area, The Grotto where Mary appeared to the illiterate 14 year old Bernadette, the special healing waters...all quite inspiring...
At the hotel an early photo of the Grotto showed the hanging of all the crutches and walking sticks that people left behind as they were cured by the healing waters of Lourdes. (The total acknowledged count was 30 to 40 people miraculously healed)
The birthplace of Bernadette....
In my wandering I discovered the birth place of Bernadette to whom the Virgin Mary appeared in 1858.
Return to reality...
On our return trip back to Azzano Decimo there were 3 men singing in one of the train compartments...a perfect end to an awe inspiring pilgrimage.
Ciao