Lourdes - Day One

It’s Day One of the Lourdes Pilgrimage, the day that the Pilgrimage begins officially with the arrival by train of the Arundel & Brighton Diocese sick pilgrims and their helpers.

Before they arrived, there was time for a stroll around town. In particular, I wanted to see what evidence there was for the severe flash floods that happened just six weeks ago.

(closed hotels)

Sadly, the evidence is all too visible. As we walked from our hotel towards the Domaine, there are closed, shuttered hotels on either side of us, and many of the tourist shops on the riverside are also boarded up.

 

 On the riverside opposite our hotel a machine with a grab arm was moving huge boulders to repair the embankment that was destroyed by the floods.

In the Domaine, daylight reveals several signs of the flood damage that were not apparent last night. The bridge leading to the Accueil Notre-Dame Hospital has been badly damaged and repair work is still in progress. The underground basilica is rumoured to be re-opening today but the damage outside it  is also visible (below).

 

 (bridge to Accueil)

 

(outside the underground basilica)

I had expected to see quite a bit of damage but what was really surprising was the tremendous clean- up and recovery operation that has taken place. Most of the Domaine and the surrounding streets are in pristine condition, it’s hard to believe that just six weeks ago they survived raging floods and were then buried under three feet of mud.

 

I asked why our hotel, the Hotel Europe, had apparently been spared. It hadn’t. Although it is built on land that is slightly higher than that of other hotels, its basement was also flooded. The fire brigade pumped the water out and then a team of 35 volunteers from nearby hotels worked for four days to remove mud and sludge. The hotel was closed for three weeks and all the electrics in the basement (mainly for the kitchens and the lifts) had to be replaced or repaired before it could open. A key to the hotel’s survival was the immediate start to the clean-up, not waiting until a settlement figure had been negotiated with the hotel’s insurers.    

This afternoon the Lourdes Pilgrim’s Handbook for the  Arundel and Brighton Diocese arrived, 189 pages containing the details of each day’s programme, prayers, chants, hymns, music, the different rites and ceremonies and much more. It’s beautifully produced, an indispensable daily companion and a unique souvenir.

We began the pilgrimage at 5.00pm with Mass in the church of St Bernadette, close by the Accueil. To be frank, it’s not my favourite church in Lourdes, it reminds me too much of a vast concrete warehouse with exposed service pipes hanging from the ceiling. Built in the modern style and consecrated 25 years ago, it was designed to let in as much light as possible, and the walls are pale-coloured to aid that effect. It’s rather utilitarian but undoubtedly effective in housing large congregations, in this instance the roughly 800 A&B pilgrims, including about 70 in wheelchairs who were sat in rows immediately in front of the altar.
The Mass was extended to include some particular aspects, including the commissioning of the pilgrims. In his homily, Bishop Kieran Conry asked us to recognise and celebrate the differences that enrich us and let this week in a holy place make a difference to each of us.

I sat in the pew behind the deaf and hard of hearing group, near the front, and was impressed by the effort put in by the lead signers, Shirley, Cathy, Jo and Jim, and their swift changeovers of responsibility, it was fascinating to see the group’s synchronised signing.

I was also impressed by the care shown by the helpers during the mass. Some of the folk in wheelchairs were a little discomfited by the heat and I noticed helpers moving between them,  reassuring them and energetically fanning away as required. Well done! As we left the church, exiting between the rows of Redshirt greeters, I noticed one musician helper with her hands full…

And so, back to the Europe Hotel for some excellent veal.