There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.
— Leonard Cohen, Anthem

There is no other place like Lourdes. And the contrast could hardly be greater between the town and the Sanctuary.

Where else in the world could you buy a statue of the Virgin Mary in every imaginable colour and size, made from every imaginable material—including glow-in-the-dark plastic? This year’s novelty is a model of the Virgin Mary appearing to Bernadette at the grotto, complete with real running water and an extravaganza of colourful lights.

There are canoeists making their way down the Gave de Pau. We saw a dog with a trolley in place of his injured back legs, hopping down the street with his owners—probably in search of a miracle. And there is the oldest and classiest hotel in Lourdes, the Grand Hôtel Moderne, built in 1896 by St Bernadette’s nephew and his wife.

But nowhere else in the world would you find the atmosphere of the Sanctuary.

Nowhere else would there be so many good people helping those who need their support.

Pádraig has been visiting Lourdes for many years, as have so many others in the Dublin Diocesan Pilgrimage group. It is a very special annual journey to a very special place, made with extraordinary people. It feels almost like an annual family reunion.

I have thought long and hard about the attraction Lourdes holds for us. Why have we kept coming back for so many years?

Pádraig’s first journey after he was discharged from hospital was to Lourdes. It took two days and a night by train from Diepholz in northern Germany. A special power supply had to be installed in his compartment for his PEG feed.

He was still so unwell that he could not make it to the baths. So his helpers decided that if Pádraig could not make it to the water, the water would have to be brought to Pádraig in the Accueil where he was staying.

How Pádraig’s life has changed since then.

He remembers all his friends from previous years. They come over to say hello, genuinely happy to see him again.

Too often, people are reduced to a diagnosis—to a condition that needs to be fixed.

Lourdes is different. Rather than focusing on what needs to be fixed, it is a place where love, hope and kindness make everyone feel valued and part of the community. Alive. No matter how different they may be.

The miracles of Lourdes make people feel like people.

Why this cannot be carried into our ordinary lives is a mystery to me.

The spirit of Lourdes—the light of Lourdes—should be everywhere, shining through the cracks.