The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1958-04-04

The FRENCH railway system
has had three trains a day
from Paris TO Leurdes for
years - the railroad having
been extended TO Lourdes in
the spring Of 1855 -- and this
year Just under 1000 special
trains have been scheduled 10
take the great throns of pill
grims. The Parish ourdes run
takes about 10 hours.
Thus destination Lourdes is
reached. Just what does the pill
grim see at Lourdes 100 years
after st. Bernadette's ''lady"
told her, Il am the Immaculate
Conception?
Primarily, a historic spot hal
lowed by Mary. But the whole
town is a virtual museum - al
belt a busting, vibrant one-of
Our Lady, of Bernadette and
her family, and of all who play
ed a part in the drama sur
rounding the humble teen-ager
who went on to achieve sane
tity in the convent in Nevers, in
central France.
The grotto of Massabielle, of
course, is the focal point Of all
Lourdes. A natural cave hol-
lowed out of the massive old
rock which is Massabielle by the
flood waters of the Gave over
the course of the ages, the grot-
to proper measures about 40
feet across, IL to Is feet high,
and 26 feet in depth.
The ceiling is now blackened
by a century of smoke from the
candles placed there by pill
grims, and the rock face of the
right side, above which "the la
dy" appeared, has been worn
smooth by those who have kiss
ed it. The Gave has been pushed
back perhaps $50 feet to en-
able crowds to gather in front
of the cave.
The grotto today is more
like II was = century ago than
IL has been At any time since
1852, when It's floor was c.
menfsd and its entrance en-
closed by an iron grille. In
preparation for the centenary.
The fence has been taken
down. and the ornate white
altar has given way to . sim
pie slab Of stone on . single
pedestal.
A white marble statue of Our
Lady stands in a hollow in the
rock, slightly above and to the
left of the grotto itself. The
work of a Lyons sculptor who
tried to follow Bernadette's de-
scription of Mary as she ap-
peared on the feast of the An,
nunciation, March Is, 1858, ii
was dedicated six years after
the apparitions. When Berna-
dette saw the statue, she re-
marked: "Oh, it's very beauti-
full, but it isn't Her"
During the 10th a~pparition,
on Feb. q. the Blessed Virgin
had said to Bernadette: go and
tell the priests to have a chapel
built here" The initial skepti
cism, and even derision, of her
pastor, Father Marie Dominique
~Peyramale, had given way to be-
lief after the Blessed Virgin had
announced 81 am the Immacu'
late Conception" to the girl who
had never before heard the ex-
preston nor knew what il
meant.
Bishop Laurence's favorable
judgment on Bernadette's story
was issud in January, 1852, and
a few months later workmen be
gan leveling the top of the rocl
of Massabielle for the Chapel
The first part Of the Chap
al" ~ actually . crypt over
which . larger church was to
be built - was completed In
1868. The Bishop censserat-
cd its five affairs on May -.
and Bernadetss. who was to
leave lourdes to enter The
convent TWO months later, was
part Of the congregation.
Ten years later, the chapel it
self - the gothic basilica of thu
. Immaculate Conception - wal
consecrated by the Cardinal
Archbishop of Paris. In 1883
when the basilica had provee
too small for the throngs com
ing to Lourdes, another church
was begun, in front of the ba
silica and almost at the level O
the grotto itself.
Blessed in 1889, the Byzan
tine-style dome of this Churcl
of the Rosary comes just up Il
the level of the entrance to thu
basilica. At the same time wer'
built the great ramps which ris'
: armlike to the basilica of tn
, Immaculate conception, and il
|, whose arches are a number o
outdoor affairs - including on,
. dedicated to st. Bernadette her
/. self. Fronting the three tiers o
churches is the vast tree-line'
esplanade, where the sick an,
} crippled gather daily for tn
} procession and blessing of tn
Blessed Sacrament.
Continued Next Week)
:
0ccor Winnor