“I am the Immaculate Conception”
The Sanctuary will join with the Holy Father’s actions: from 8th November, thousands of flowers, ordered online by pilgrims visiting the website, will be placed in the Grotto, at the feet of Our Lady, to pay her homage and thus prolong the joy that Bernadette experienced when she said: she had a yellow rose on each foot, the colour of her rosary chain. It is the rosary that makes the world blossom.
On 8th December each year, the Sanctuary of Lourdes celebrates the feast of the Immaculate Conception
It will be presided over by Bishop Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, Rector of the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, with a Mass at the Basilica of St. Pius X, followed by the Angelus at the Grotto and the Blessing of the Roses. At the same time, on the same day, in all continents, a huge prayer network will come into being organised by the members of the Notre-Dame de Lourdes Family and the Padre Pio prayer groups spread over sixty countries. They will be active participants in this network which will be praying the Rosary of the Immaculate Virgin. Why not join them? St. Padre Pio said, “Let us love the Virgin and always pray the Rosary! “
The feast will be announced the day before and will be followed on the night itself by the Marian torchlight procession.
Novena to the Immaculate Conception
from 30th November to 8th December.
- Say the Novena prayer each day.
- Say a decade of the Rosary, followed by the following invocations: “Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us!” “Saint Bernadette, pray for us!” “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.”
- Receive Holy Communion on 8th December or on a day during the octave.
- Confession recommended.
Mary,
You who appeared to Bernadette in the hollow of the rock, in the cold and depths of winter,
You brought the warmth of a presence, the friendship of a smile, the light and beauty of grace.
In the hollow of our often obscure lives, in the hollow of this world where Evil is powerful, bring hope, restore confidence.
You who said to Bernadette “I am the Immaculate Conception”: come to the help of the sinners that we are.
Give us the courage of conversion, the humility of penance and the perseverance of prayer.
We entrust to you all those we carry in our hearts and especially the sick and those in despair, you who are “Our Lady of Good Help”.
You guided Bernadette to the spring.
Guide us to Him who is the source of eternal life, the One who gave us the Holy Spirit, so that we dare to say:
Our Father who art in Heaven…
Present the Virgin Mary a rose
Believers from all over the world are invited to join in this event by offering a rose to Mary (via our online form) and praying the Rosary.
The flowers will be deposited at the Grotto after the solemn Mass celebrated at 10.00 am and the Angelus. You can follow this event live on TV Lourdes, on 8th December or see it again on the video on our website.
1 av. Monseigneur Théas
