Philippine Trinity of Shrines compared to Lourdes Shrine

 (Part II of ‘In the footsteps of Bernadette’)

What would have been the regular eight-hour train ride one usually takes from Paris with a 10 o’clock night train and arrive at Lourdes by 7:30 a.m. became a six-hour Trans Grand Vitesse (TGV) train ride for us. It is more refreshing than sleeping in the evening train. However, to do this, one has to be at Gare Montparnasse at 7:25 in the early morning to arrive at Lourdes by 1:30 p.m. for a late lunch.

As our TGV train zoomed high up the Hautes-Pyrenese mountain range, about 1,200 feet above sea level, we entered the holy town shrine. This beautiful natural setting reminded me of the similar foothills of Palan, San Marcelino, where the mystical and ecumenical Hidden Temple Shrine of the Praying Blessed Mother and Son, Our Lord of Love and Redemption stands. Like Lourdes, the Palan shrine nestles in the circle of Zambales mountain ranges facing the Mt. Pinatubo Volcano just 20 km away.

Max and I had the pleasure of knowing the small town of Lourdes during its off-season break of autumn. Without the swarm of tourists from all over the world, we saw and felt the simplicity of the young maiden’s life.

The Boly Mill

The maison parenelle or family residence of the Soubirous is the Boly Mill. It is midway along the Boulevard de la Grotte. (Prayer: Lord, we pray for all families, especially those who are experiencing difficulties.)

The other boulevard is Rue de la Grotte four kilometers further where the huge tourist buses park. This is closer to the Cachot (an old prison house) – a dark, unhealthy room, four meters by 4.4 meters where the impoverished parents of Bernadette were given free lodging. Between these two boulevards along Avenue Baron Maransin are the Parish Church (Sacred Heart) where Bernadette was baptized, the Presbytery where the parish priest Abbe Peyramale, received Mother Mary’s massage from Bernadette, “Go tell the priests to come in procession and build a church here.”

Closer to the first boulevard is the Hospice, today the General Hospital. Bernadette went to school for the first time here when the apparitions were going on. She also received her First Communion here. The Sisters of Nevers looked after this Hospice. 

The Village of Bartres

Shortly after her birth in 1844, her mother who caught cholera sent baby Bernadette to Bartres, four kilometers away. Here a wet nurse, Marie Lagues, who just lost her baby, took care of her.

Bartrés is a place where you can recall the months that Bernadette spent helping in the farm of Marie Lagues before the Apparitions.  “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.” Usually, God puts His special instruments to a test. It is often a preparation for a great mission. And so, it was for the 14-year-old shepherdess. From birth, she had been constantly deprived of comfort. As a young child, she was first afflicted with cholera then asthma which stunted her growth and prevented her from going regularly to school.

The bathhouses

Two rows of bathhouses can be reached after the candle stand. The first is for the men (les homes), then for the ladies (les dames). Instead of the long cues of pilgrims in spring and summer, there was only a small group of six ladies waiting outside on a bench.

Inside the bathhouse are six cubicles divided into two: the waiting area and a curtained sunken bathtub filled with healing spring water. This is changed thrice a day. I was directed to one compartment were some lady pilgrims wearing blue cotton capes covering their completely disrobed bodies from neck to foot were already seated on chairs waiting for their turns. A volunteer that was assigned to me directed me to a seat. Above this was a hook where I hung my bag. I took off my shoes and put them under the chair. To undress in privacy, a blue cotton cape was handed to me.

Three volunteers assisted me inside the curtained bath area. As I faced the sunken tub which measures 1.5 m x 3.5 m, they helped me wear a white wrap around my body and my blue cape was removed. They asked me to pray for healing then led me to step down into the extremely cold spring water. This is likely to shock you. (Some pilgrims shriek, so control yourself and endure this in silence.) I was helped to soak in the water chest deep. We continued praying. In a few minutes, I was helped to go up and exchange the wet wrap around for the blue cape outside the curtain. Surprisingly I did not feel chilly. Even without a towel, my body dried up. This was quite an unforgettable sensation which was actually the miraculous healing of one’s physical and spiritual person.

Of the Trinity of Shrines, the Mt. Pinatubo Shrine of Palan, 20 minutes away from Olongapo also has the miraculous spring water. They are tapped to six faucets (We have to install the sunken tubs.) It has cured all kinds of ailments since 1992 when we started to establish it. Bottles of the healing water always healed anyone who prays and drinks.

The Holy Mother’s messages

Following the instruction of the parish priest to ask for the name of the “lady in white,” Bernadette held out a sheet of paper and pencil so that she might write down her name, but the Lady replied, “What I have to say to you does not have to be written down.” This was an extraordinary statement. It means that the Virgin Mary wanted to enter into a relationship which is of the order of love, at the level of the heart.

At the second statement of the Virgin Mary: “Would you do me the kindness of coming here for 15 days?” Bernadette was overwhelmed. It was the first time that anyone had addressed her in a formal way.

The third statement of the Virgin was: “I do not promise to make you happy in this world but in the other.” We know a world of violence, lies, sensuality, profit, and war. But we know also a world of charity, solidarity and justice. These two worlds exist on our earth. When Jesus, in the Gospel, invites us to discover the Kingdom of Heaven, he invites us to discover in our world, as it is, “another world.” Wherever love exists, God is present.

(Part III – ‘Where Divinity Descends, for Humanity to Ascend’)