The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France should be included in every Filipino pilgrim's itinerary to Europe.

"Because the Virgin Mary asks for it," Fr. Michele Daubanes, the director of the Lourdes Sanctuary, said in a meeting with select Filipino reporters in his visit to Manila.

Located on the southern part of France near its border with Spain, the Sanctuary has become one of the world's most famous spiritual centers, welcoming millions of pilgrims and visitors annually.

There, the devout can see and feel "the love, the fraternity, the charity and the belongingness, regardless of their race, status or languages," Daubanes said.
The Sanctuary is not only an establishment. "It's a community," Daubanes added.

The Sanctuary is dedicated to the Our Lady of Lourdes, a title for the Virgin Mary, who had made 18 apparitions to the young Bernadette Soubirous, a poor daughter of a miller, in 1858.

Inside are the Basilica of the Immaculate Concepcion, which features the depiction of the events in Lourdes; the Rosary Basilica, which is covered with 2,000-square meters of exceptional mosaic; the underground Basilica of St. Pius X, that has unusually large dimensionseaturing various stained-glass images in the gemmail style; as well as the Massabielle Grotto.

The Grotto is central to the history of the Lourdes. It was where the climax of the revelation—where the lady introduced herself, saying "I am the Immaculate Conception"—happened.

The water flowing from the grotto since the apparitions is believed to do miraculous healings. So the sanctuary has also become a destination for the sick and the disabled.

Within the Sanctuary the Bernadette's Path is also located. To follow in St. Bernadette's footsteps is a chance to discover the places familiar to her.

These included the mill she was born, the Moulin de Boly; the gloomy Cachot, a former dungeon where she lived with her family at the time of the Apparitions in 1858; the Hospice where she was educated by the Sisters of Nevers and where she took her First Communion; the parish church where baptismal font used at her christening is still located; the old Presbytery where she met Abbot Peyramale; and the Maison Paternelle, known as the Moulin Lacadé that served as home to her parents after the apparitions.

While many volunteers from local and nearby parishes organize tours to the sanctuary for those physically-challenged, Daubanes is hoping to attract more pilgrims from other parts of the world, including the Philippines.

Daubanes and his team will also be visiting Indonesia and South Korea where they are set to meet with tour agencies and other interested parties.

For those interested in touring the sanctuary, the Lourdes' Tourism Office may be reached through:+33 562 42 77 40 or en.lourdes-infotourisme.com