Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School - Loughlinite Yearbook (Brooklyn, NY)

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All of this, however, takes second place to the unde- iinable air of the supernatural about Lourdes that has no equal in all the world. There is, indeed, great natural beauty in the village hidden in the Pyrenees, but there is a great deal more than natural beauty. Nor is it the exclusively religious atmosphere of the shrine and the town, for it does not escape one that there is considerable commercial activity outside the gates proper. Rather it is simply the startling realization that the Virgin Mother of God actually was in this place. And the place has never been the same since then. One could very well ask, How could it be? People who go to Lourdes generally come away with this definite impression, often spoken of as the miracle of Lourdes: that no one goes there without spiritual benefit of some kind. It is true, the sight of the sick at prayer, the processions, the reception of Holy Com- munion-all of this is most impressive and edifying. But alone and beyond this is an awareness of the near- ness of the Lady who graced this place with her presence. The Holy Father, in his encyclical on the Lourdes Pilgrimage, wrote, Nowhere, except perhaps at Lourdes, does one feel so moved to prayer. He goes on to express the hope that the spirit of the pilgrimage this year will mean a growth in the love of God and man, a love clear for all to see at the shrine. He is expressly concerned with the growing emphasis on material things shown by the love of money, the cult of the body, the search for comfort and pleasure, the flight from austerity, the contempt for human life and selhsh indifference to the needs of others. In the mind of the Pope, a pil- grimage should lead to conversion of life. He hopes for just such benehts from the countless pilgrimages to be made this year. Remember 0 most pious Virgin Mary . . . 5 2 ?

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