Visions at Lourdes

Catholics from across central New York joined together for a special service in front of the shrine at St. Frances Church in Auburn. The occasion was the 150th anniversary of a series of visions by a young French girl named Bernadette Soubirous. She said she saw Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in a grotto near Lourdes, France.

The first appearance occurred Feb. 11, 1858. Bernadette saw Mary 17 more times after that. In a very short time, the people of Bernadette's village heard of her visions and came to see for themselves. By the fourth occasion, the people carried candles, which has become a tradition for people visiting the shrine. By the last time Bernadette saw her vision, the people coming along numbered in the thousands.

Although this pilgrimage was organized by local churches, the event and others like it, have the endorsement of Pope Benedict XVI, who visited the Lourdes grotto Sept. 13. From Dec. 8, 2007 until Dec. 8 of this year has been declared the Lourdes jubilee year.

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