Some friends wondered why, for the third time, I made another trip to Lourdes in France. I’ve always had a spiritual connection with the town, with each trip as memorable as the last. Despite an almost five-hour train ride from Paris, I went back once more to pray and say thanks.

People from all over the world travel all the way to this town to pray to Our Lady of Lourdes. The 18 Marian apparitions to Saint Bernadette Soubirous in 1858 started the devotion, eventually attracting millions to visit the town to experience the miraculous healing. Almost every Catholic who has visited would have brought home the water from Lourdes that continuously flows from the spring in the grotto.

My first time at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes was as a delegate of the University of Santo Tomas when I was in college. After the activities at the World Youth Day then in Köln, Germany, our itinerary included other religious sites in different parts of Europe. At first sight, I was amazed at the architectural design of The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. I always thought that the basilica’s architecture was quite grand with its massive size, designed with long and pointed spires.

After that initial experience, I always prayed that I would be able to bring my family to Lourdes to experience the devotion and the torchlight Marian procession in the evening. Thirteen years later, my prayers were granted. It was a memorable experience for my family to have been there even for a night and pray in unison with hundreds of people.

I was still emotionally and spiritually moved during my last trip in October of 2024. After getting off the SNCF train at Gare de Lourdes, I proceeded to walk to my hotel. I still remembered the path going to the busier area of the town that’s closer to the sanctuary. After check-in, I immediately went to my first stop.