ABSTRACT
The Catholic healing shrine of Lourdes has attracted millions of pilgrims to southwestern France since apparitions of the Virgin Mary were reported at the site in 1858. Pilgrims are drawn to Lourdes by a range of factors, but many share the belief that a spring uncovered during apparitions seen by the young Bernadette Soubirous holds the potential to miraculously heal those who drink and wash in its waters. An extensive spiritual and medical infrastructure is now in place at the shrine to support pilgrims during their stay in Lourdes, many of whom are sick and disabled. This chapter provides an overview of the Marian apparitions that gave rise to one of the most prominent pilgrimage shrines in Catholicism, and explores the rituals performed at the shrine as well as the “infrastructure of care” provided to pilgrims traveling to Lourdes.
