On the day of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (September 8) and at the conclusion of Mass in Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea), Pope Francis directed his thoughts to the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Lourdes, affected by a flood.
David Torchala, communications director of the Lourdes sanctuary, brings news while Lourdes is today partially flooded: “The news is more reassuring”, in #HDPros2 pic.twitter.com/e1NS1lDQvd
— CNEWS (@CNEWS) September 7, 2024
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“And today, which in our liturgical calendar is the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, our thoughts turn to the Sanctuary of Lourdes which has been flooded due to recent heavy rains,” the Holy Father noted.
This Saturday, the level of the Gave de Pau river, which flows next to the sanctuary, rose and caused a partial flood of the sanctuary, also in the grotto where the image of Our Lady of Lourdes is located.
Sudden rise in the waters of the Gave de Pau which flooded the Cave and the Sanctuary.
The doors of the Sanctuary remain open.
The 10 a.m. mass will not take place.Information on site. pic.twitter.com/ChK1XHcczu
— Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes (@lourdes_france) September 7, 2024
However, it explains the venue websiteAfter several hours of work, the sanctuary is once again accessible to the public and pilgrims.
“Thanks to the efforts of the teams at the Sanctuary of Notre-Dame de Lourdes, the Grotto has been cleaned and reopened to pilgrims following the flooding that occurred today, Saturday, September 7, 2024,” the website states.
The Grotto of Lourdes once again accessible to the public.
Thanks to the mobilization of the Sanctuary teams, the Cave was able to be cleaned following the floods that occurred today.The Cave is now reopened to pilgrims 🙏
Learn more ➡️https://t.co/LJKLBpOYXt pic.twitter.com/YjhhT3QhE9
— Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes (@lourdes_france) September 7, 2024
“The emergency plan against floods has proven its effectiveness,” he continues and states that “the celebrations once again take place at the usual hours in all the basilicas and places of worship of the Sanctuary, starting with the rosary at six in the afternoon. in the Grotto.”
In addition, they specify that “no pilgrimage has been cancelled” and “water leaks in the pools will require a thorough cleaning and verification of the facilities, so the reopening will be postponed for a few days.”
“The chapels of Light will be accessible starting tomorrow, Sunday, September 8,” he concludes.
Walter Sanchez Silva
I have been a husband since 2008. My wife and I have three children here and one who went to heaven in 2023, before he was born. Since I joined ACI Prensa in 2005, I have had the opportunity to cover various events of the Catholic Church. Among them, the World Youth Days in Cologne, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro and the apostolic trips of Pope Benedict XVI to Mexico and of Pope Francis to South Korea. I have been sent to the Vatican to cover the Family synods, in 2015; of the Amazon, in 2019 and that of Synodality, in 2023. I closely follow the situation of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua, which suffers persecution from the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega, as well as current ecclesiastical events in the region.