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This year, we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the apparitions
of the Virgin Mary to Bernadette Soubirous. From the very beginning of its
history, Oblates have been involved. Fr. Bernard DULLIER, Provincial of France,
speaks here about what he has learned.
First description of the apparitions: It was in a letter written to an
Oblate, Fr. Ferdinand GONTRAND, that Bernadette put into writing for the first
time, in 1860, what had happened two years before. The apparitions had not yet
been recognized. While passing through Lourdes to preach the retreat of the
diocesan priests, Fr. Gontrand had been immediately fascinated by the seer and
he was convinced that she was speaking the truth. Therefore, he started an
on-going correspondence with her and he asked her to write about the
apparitions. She did just that and it is that report which one reads in the Office
for February 11.
Consecration of the upper basilica: In order to build the basilica, the
Bishop of Tarbes began a campaign in all the dioceses of France. Several
bishops did not appreciate the fact that someone was “going hunting” on their
land. A single bishop responded favorably and sent 200 gold francs: it was the
Oblate, Joseph GUIBERT, at the time, Bishop of Tours. Accordingly, fourteen
years later, they would ask him to come to consecrate the basilica. In the
meantime, he had become the Bishop of Paris and a cardinal. At the time of his
death, three of his colleagues could write that he was “one of the very first
to believe in the importance of Lourdes.”
Pilgrimage to Lourdes by Oblate bishops: In the Annals of Our Lady of
Lourdes, one finds mention of the visits of several Oblate bishops: in 1878,
Vital GRANDIN, Bishop of St. Albert in Canada; in 1880, André Mélizan, Apostolic
Vicar of Jaffna in Ceylon, and Christophe BONJEAN, Bishop of Médéa, likewise in
Ceylon; in 1885, it was Charles JOLIVET, Apostolic Vicar of Natal, who came to
Lourdes; and in 1887, Isidore CLUT, Vicar Apostolic of Mackenzie.
First diocesan pilgrimages: “Go tell the priests that people
should come here in procession,” said Mary to Bernadette. In 1872 and in 1873,
the diocese of Marseille was the first to bring to Lourdes more than 300
pilgrims, led by the Oblates of Notre Dame de la Garde. And people still talk
about the living Stations of the Cross conducted on the mountain in 1880 by Fr
BENEDIC and in 1883 by Fr. ROUX, both of them Oblates. The second diocesan
pilgrimage, in 1873, was from Aix en Provence, led by Fr. GARNIER, o.m.i., who,
of course, preached in Provencal.
National pilgrimages from abroad: The Anglo-Irish Oblates were the first
ones, in 1883, to organize and lead a national pilgrimage to Lourdes. For two
years, they circulated among all the Catholic parishes a scroll more than eight
meters long, covered with prayer intentions.
Finally, we note that in 1874, for the 10th anniversary of the
statue at the grotto, there was an Oblate from Pontmain (another Marian shrine)
who preached. (Audacieux pour l’Évangile, January
2008)
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