Vatican City, Aug 12, 2004 / 22:00 pm
In less than 24 hours the Holy Father will visit the Marian shrine at Lourdes for the second time of his pontificate in order to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. He is expected to be received by 400,000 faithful who have flocked to the town to join him in his two-day pilgrimage.
This will be the Pope’s 8th trip to France, the country he has visited more than any other besides his native Poland which he has visited 9 times.
The Pope will arrive in Lourdes at 11am Saturday morning, will be welcomed by French president Jacques Chirac in the airport, and will go directly to the grotto at Massiabelle in which the Virgin Mary appeared to St. Bernadette, where he will drink from the spring water.
The Pope will head from there to the Notre Dame home for pilgims who suffer from illness. He will spend the night there in the facility which will be hosting hundreds of other pilgrims as well.