The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is a Catholic Marian pilgrimage site covering 52 hectares, built around the Grotto of Massabielle, in Lourdes, in the Hautes-Pyrénées. It brings together three basilicas and welcomes several million pilgrims and visitors every year, according to reports published by the Sanctuary itself.

This page is part of the Massabielle feature.

What is the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes?

The Sanctuary is the grounds dedicated to the Marian pilgrimage of Lourdes, placed under the authority of the Diocese of Tarbes-Lourdes.

The Code of Canon Law precisely defines what a shrine is. Canon 1230 states: “The term shrine means a church or other sacred place which, with the approval of the local Ordinary, is by reason of special devotion frequented by the faithful as pilgrims” (CIC, can. 1230). Canon law also requires that a shrine provide pilgrims with abundant means of grace, particularly the faithful proclamation of the Word of God and a carefully maintained liturgical and sacramental life. The veneration practised there — before the Grotto, the statues, or the relics — is legitimate. It must, however, remain in keeping with the Church’s faith, without drifting into superstition (can. 1187).

The grounds cover 52 hectares, crossed by the Gave de Pau, the river that also runs along Lourdes town centre. Besides the three basilicas, they include the Processional Esplanade and about a dozen chapels. The Church of Saint Bernadette (opened on 25 March 1988, on the right bank of the Gave), fountains, the baths, and a dedicated welcome for sick pilgrims complete the grounds.

The land around the Grotto of the apparitions was acquired by the diocese in 1861. This was three years after the 18 apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Bernadette Soubirous, which took place between 11 February and 16 July 1858. The grounds were then built up gradually around this site, keeping pace with the growing number of pilgrims, until it became one of the leading Catholic pilgrimage centres in the world.

The Sanctuary is led by a Rector appointed by the bishop: Fr Michel Daubanes has held the post since 1 September 2022. The Diocese of Tarbes-Lourdes has, since May 2022, been under the responsibility of Bishop Jean-Marc Micas, ordained bishop in the Basilica of St. Pius X.

Regarding attendance, the Sanctuary welcomes about 3.6 million people per year (2024 figure, per the Sanctuary — lourdes-france.org). This figure confirms that Lourdes remains, to this day, one of the most visited Marian shrines in the world.

The three basilicas of the Sanctuary

The Sanctuary has three basilicas built one above the other, each one built to meet the growing influx of pilgrims.

The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, known as the “Upper Basilica”

This was the first building constructed on the grounds, designed by architect Hippolyte Durand. It was consecrated on 2 July 1876. It stands directly above the Grotto of Massabielle.

The Rosary Basilica, known as the “Lower Basilica”

Built to accommodate far more pilgrims than the first church, it was consecrated on 6 October 1901. Its vault is adorned with around 2,000 m² of mosaics, made by the Italian workshop of Giandomenico Facchina.

The Basilica of St. Pius X, the underground basilica

Built beneath the Processional Esplanade to meet the ever-growing influx of pilgrims, this basilica was consecrated on 25 March 1958 by Cardinal Roncalli, the future Pope John XXIII. Its architects were Pierre Vago and engineer Eugène Freyssinet, a pioneer of prestressed concrete. According to the Sanctuary’s website, it can hold up to 20,000 people, including 5,000 seated — one of the largest religious buildings in the world by capacity.

These three basilicas do not compete with one another: they are literally stacked. The Upper Basilica and the Rosary Basilica face each other above the level of the Grotto, while the Basilica of St. Pius X lies entirely underground beneath the Esplanade. This layout allows the Sanctuary to host several simultaneous celebrations during major gatherings, such as the National Pilgrimage on 15 August or the Rosary Pilgrimage in October.

The Grotto of Massabielle, the heart of the Sanctuary

The whole history of the Sanctuary begins in a single place: the Grotto of Massabielle. The Virgin Mary appeared there 18 times to Bernadette Soubirous, between 11 February and 16 July 1858. It is around this Grotto, not the other way round, that the grounds were built, basilica after basilica, over the decades.

The Grotto remains, today, the focal point of a pilgrim’s day. It is there that individual prayers are said, that sick pilgrims accompanied by the Hospitality of Our Lady of Lourdes (HNDL) gather, and that the Marian procession begins each evening. In the daily life of the Sanctuary, it is far more than a historical memory: it is a living place of prayer.

On the doctrinal level, the Church places this kind of event among the so-called “‘private’ revelations”. Lourdes belongs among those that “have been recognized by the authority of the Church” — without, however, belonging to the deposit of faith or being imposed as a mandatory object of faith (CCC § 67). Believing in the Lourdes apparitions is therefore not a Catholic article of faith, but a free assent, guided by the Church’s discernment since Bishop Laurence’s Episcopal Decree of 1862.

For the full story of the apparitions and their recognition by the Church, see our dedicated page on the Grotto of Massabielle.

The baths and the spring water: a gesture, not a remedy

At the Grotto of Massabielle springs water that has flowed there since the 1858 apparitions. The Sanctuary officially calls it “water from the spring” — never “miraculous water” or “holy water”.

Pilgrims can perform the “water gesture” at the fountains, a rite in use since 2008, or go to the baths for a ritual immersion supervised by volunteers. This gesture is a sacramental: a sign of faith and a request for grace, not a medical treatment. The Catechism of the Catholic Church recalls this with regard to illness: “Christ’s compassion toward the sick and his many healings of every kind of infirmity are a resplendent sign that ‘God has visited his people’ and that the Kingdom of God is close at hand” (CCC § 1503).

This distinction is essential, and the Sanctuary itself recalls it: the spring water has, in itself, no demonstrated curative property. What pilgrims report is an experience of faith and comfort. In a very small number of cases subjected to rigorous medical examination, a healing that medicine cannot explain is sometimes observed.

As of 16 April 2025, the Church has recognized 72 healings as miraculous, out of roughly 7,300 healing cases declared to the Bureau of Medical Observations since 1858. This topic, along with the precise criteria for recognizing a miracle, is covered in detail on our page about the miracles of Lourdes. For a full description of the water rite and its uses, see our page on the water of Lourdes.

Living the Sanctuary today: Masses, processions, opening hours

The Sanctuary offers daily Masses, times for Eucharistic adoration, and confession. Traditionally, a Torchlight Marian Procession is held each evening during the high season (April to October). Pilgrims carry candles and sing hymns to the Virgin Mary along the Processional Esplanade.

Two high points mark the Sanctuary’s liturgical year in particular. The feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, celebrated on 11 February, coincides with the World Day of the Sick, instituted by Saint John Paul II (Jean-Paul II) in 1992. The National Pilgrimage on 15 August, the feast of the Assumption, in turn gathers many French dioceses together each year. The welcome of sick pilgrims, especially during these major gatherings, is provided by volunteers of the Hospitality of Our Lady of Lourdes (HNDL), including the brancardiers (stretcher-bearers).

A pilgrim’s day follows a well-established daily rhythm: the rosary at the Grotto at 3:30 pm, the Eucharistic Procession at 5 pm, then the Torchlight Marian Procession at 9 pm. These three high points are celebrated every day of the year. The baths, the confession chapel, and times of Eucharistic adoration complete this rhythm, with slots that vary by day of the week and by season.

Exact opening hours (gate opening times, Masses, baths) change from year to year, and are not fixed here. It is always best to check the Sanctuary’s own hours page (lourdes-france.org/horaires) when planning a visit, rather than relying on a schedule published elsewhere.

To plan your visit in practical terms — travel, accommodation, best time of year — see our practical pilgrimage guide.

Grounds designed to welcome every pilgrim

Since the Sanctuary’s earliest days, welcoming sick or disabled pilgrims has been central to its purpose. It is, in fact, one of the very reasons for the site’s existence, given the healings reported since the earliest years of the apparitions. According to the Sanctuary, the Grotto of the apparitions is accessible to every pilgrim, including for the traditional gestures (touching the rock, lighting a candle, drinking the spring water). Access ramps make entry easier at every place of worship, and magnetic induction loops equip the Grotto, the Basilica of St. Pius X, and the Church of Saint Bernadette for hearing-impaired visitors. The grounds’ pathways are laid out for wheelchair access, including during the daily processions.

The Sanctuary’s Information Centre offers dedicated welcome services for people with disabilities, wheelchair loans, and refers visitors to the OCH Foundation (Christian Office for Disabled People). Its on-site welcome desk is presented this way: “where everyone finds a listening ear, compassion, support, with a small light of hope to continue the journey” (OCH Foundation, lourdes-france.com). Volunteers of the Hospitality of Our Lady of Lourdes (HNDL), including the brancardiers, accompany many pilgrims each year to the Grotto, the baths, and the basilicas.

The grounds can be visited freely all year round, by day and, for the Grotto itself, late into the evening. Several pedestrian paths cross the grounds, leading from Lourdes town centre to the Grotto, the Processional Esplanade, and the basilicas. It is this organised welcome for the sick that largely explains why Lourdes remains a favoured destination for diocesan pilgrimages — notably during the National Pilgrimage on 15 August and the World Day of the Sick on 11 February.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and references

Magisterium

• Code of Canon Law, 1983 — can. 1230-1234 (definition of a shrine) and can. 1187 (legitimate veneration); English translation courtesy of the Canon Law Society of Great Britain and Ireland
• Catechism of the Catholic Church, editio typica 1997 — § 1503 and § 67; English translation © 1997, United States Catholic Conference, Inc.

Lourdes sources

• Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes — lourdes-france.org (basilica consecration dates, 52-hectare grounds, capacity of the Basilica of St. Pius X)
• Sanctuary of Lourdes, “Horaires du Sanctuaire Notre-Dame de Lourdes”, lourdes-france.org/horaires/ (accessed 8 July 2026)
• Sanctuary of Lourdes, “Lourdes, un Sanctuaire accessible et ouvert à tous”, lourdes-france.com/lourdes-un-sanctuaire-accessible-a-tous/ (accessed 8 July 2026)
• Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, annual attendance (about 3.6 million, 2024) — lourdes-france.org/en/lourdes-attendance/
• Vatican News, “Une Italienne reconnue comme la 72ᵉ miraculée de Lourdes” (vaticannews.va, 18 April 2025) — 72nd healing, dated 16 April 2025, Rector’s role confirmed
• Lourdes Tourist Office (lourdes-infotourisme.com) — opening and location of the Church of Saint Bernadette

Bernadettine corpus

• Laurentin, Récit — historical context for the building of the grounds after 1858

Translator’s note: French canon-law usage renders “sanctuaire” as “Sanctuary” (site’s proper name, per project glossary), while the official English translation of the 1983 Code of Canon Law uses the technical term “shrine” for the same canons (1230-1234). Both are used here deliberately: “Sanctuary” for the place, “shrine” only inside the direct canon-law quotation.