Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - On the occasion of the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, celebrated every year on February 11 the date of the first apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Bernadette in 1858, in spiritual communion with Lourdes and all who visit the venerated site, Fides offers a collection of traditional prayers used by the faithful at this Marian shrine most dear to believers all over the world .
Twenty eight years ago in 1979 on the eve of the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes Pope John Paul II said: “Hail Mary... I wish today to be spirit in that corner of France from where 120 years ago, those words never cease to be murmured by the lips of thousands of men and women since the day when they were prayed with surprise by a young girl. The young girl was Bernardette Soubirous, she was 14, the daughter of a modest working couple from Lourdes”.
“Hail Mary... It is with these words that always and everywhere we greet the one who heard them for the first time in Nazareth. At the Annunciation Mary was greeted by name; as she was called by her family and neighbours; with this name she was chosen by God. The Eternal One called her with this name: Maria! Myriam! However when asked her name by Bernardette Our Blessed Lady replied not Mary, but ‘Que soy era Immaculada Concepciou’ (‘I am the Immaculate Conception’). In Lourdes she is invoked with the name God gave her from all eternity; from all eternity He chose her with this name and destined her to be the Mother of His Son, the eternal Word. This title “Immaculate Conception”, is infinitely more profound and more important than the name used by parents or friends and which she heard at the Annunciation: Hail Mary!” (John Paul II homily during Mass in the Sistine Chapel, 10 February 1979).
Truly grateful to Bishop Jacques Perrier, Bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes, Mgr Jean-Paul Lécot, Choir Master of Lourdes and Mr Bruno Tellier of the Bookshop de la Grotte in Lourdes, we have the joy of sharing with our readers the traditional prayers and hymns of Lourdes in various different languages. (J.M.) (Agenzia Fides 9/2/2007 - righe 25, parole 348)
