Lourdes, France Basilica night flaming procession 1979

Postcard

 

• Picture / Image:  Lourdes - Basilica at night with 'Procession aux Flambeaux'
• Publisher:  Gerard Poublanc, Lourdes
• Postally used:  yes
• Stamp:  1f green definitive
• Postmark(s):  Lourdes 1979 slogan cancel (see scan)
• Sent to:  Chapel Street, Bootle, Merseyside
• Notes & Key words: 

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Text from the free encyclopedia WIKIPEDIA may appear below to give a little background information:

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Lourdes (Occitan: Lorda) is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in south-western France.

Lourdes is a small market town lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees, famous for the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes that are reported to have occurred in 1858 to Bernadette Soubirous. At that time, the most prominent feature of the town was the fortified castle that rises up from a rocky escarpment at its centre.

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes or the Domain (as it is most commonly known) is an area of ground surrounding the shrine (Grotto) to Our Lady of Lourdes in the town of Lourdes, France. This ground is owned and administrated by the Church, and has several functions, including devotional activities, offices, and accommodation for sick pilgrims and their helpers. The Domain includes the Grotto itself, the nearby taps which dispense the Lourdes water, and the offices of the Lourdes Medical Bureau, as well as several churches and basilicas. It comprises an area of 51 hectares, and includes 22 separate places of worship.^[1] There are six official languages of the Sanctuary: French, English, Italian, Spanish, Dutch and German.

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The Torchlight Marian Procession takes place daily at 8.45pm. It begins outside the Grotto and follows the same route as the Blessed Sacrament Procession. In extreme weather an indoor ceremony may be held in the Underground Basilica instead.

The procession is led by pilgrims bearing a replica of the Cabuchet Statue of the Virgin Mary. As before, groups usually proceed together under their group banner. Typically each participant carries a candle; these have a paper shade which diffuses the light and makes the candle less likely to blow out.

The focus of this procession is the Rosary. All five decades are recited, usually in a variety of languages. The Lourdes Hymn is also sung, with verses in different languages. Intercessions may be invoked followed by the Laudate Mariam. There is a final blessing in Latin, and then an invitation to exchange the Sign of peace with fellow pilgrims.^[11]