When Our Lady appeared to St Bernadette she asked her to wash herself in the spring. Thinking she meant the nearby river Bernadette went in that direction, but Our Lady called her back and indicated where the spring was on the other side of the grotto. Bernadette had to dig with her bare hands and at first it was just a trickle of muddy water which came up, but over time it ran with pure clean water. Shortly afterwards a seriously ill young boy who was beyond the help of the doctors was bathed in the water by his mother and he was miraculously cured. To this day pilgrims take home water from this spring.
Shortly before returning from Lourdes Bishop Andrew suggested that if I was to fill a container with water from the Grotto he would be able to bring it back in his car as it is prohibited to take any more than 100ml on the aeroplane. Of course there was method in his madness. The trade-off was that Fr Victor and I had to brave the crowds queuing for water from the spring and then haul it through the streets to the Bishop’s hotel and ... Yes, you’ve guessed it: he wanted some of it for himself. It arrived safely and I have now collected it from the Bishop’s House and blessed salt has been added to preserve it.
A small quantity will be added to water in the font for the Baptism of children from the Parish Family and for the Rite of Sprinkling at the Easter Vigil. It will also be used as part of the liturgy when Bishop Andrew and Bishop Keith visit us on Saturday 7th March 2009 for our Day of Celebration and Teaching on Confession and Anointing.
Shortly before returning from Lourdes Bishop Andrew suggested that if I was to fill a container with water from the Grotto he would be able to bring it back in his car as it is prohibited to take any more than 100ml on the aeroplane. Of course there was method in his madness. The trade-off was that Fr Victor and I had to brave the crowds queuing for water from the spring and then haul it through the streets to the Bishop’s hotel and ... Yes, you’ve guessed it: he wanted some of it for himself. It arrived safely and I have now collected it from the Bishop’s House and blessed salt has been added to preserve it.
A small quantity will be added to water in the font for the Baptism of children from the Parish Family and for the Rite of Sprinkling at the Easter Vigil. It will also be used as part of the liturgy when Bishop Andrew and Bishop Keith visit us on Saturday 7th March 2009 for our Day of Celebration and Teaching on Confession and Anointing.
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