Hannah Pell: Lourdes

I've practiced the Roman Catholic faith my whole life, and this sacred spring is a place we frequently talked about in school. The spring in the Grotto of Lourdes, France is a popular pilgrimage destination for those apart of the Christian faith. This sacred place is one of the most visited shrines in the religion. The origin of the visitation of Lourdes is the story of Bernadette, the daughter of a Christian peasant, who witnessed the appearance of an apparition. It told her to "go tell the village priest to build a chapel here". The apparition was revealed to be Mary, the Mother of God. Bernadette dug until she found a puddle of water, which turned into a pool. The sacred spring is known for its miracles that heal those who bathe in the water.  It seems to be almost carved into the side of a mountain or rock. It has a beautiful statue of Mary inside of the rock, right above the spring. More than 200 million pilgrimages have occurred at the spring. Overall, this sacred place is popular destination among those of the Christian faith because of its famous history of miracles.  




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