Arrival in Lourdes and prayer at the Grotto of Massabielle — 2026-09-26

All events of the day›2026-09-26›Arrival in Lourdes and prayer at the Grotto of Massabielle

19:40

Sep

🕯️ Lourdes Grotto

Arrival in Lourdes and prayer at the Grotto of Massabielle

📍 Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, France

In the evening Pope Leo XIV flies from Paris/Orly and arrives at Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées airport; he arrives in Lourdes at exactly 7pm and, before going to silent prayer at the Grotto of Massabielle, inaugurates the "Leo XIV Bridge", a crossing over the Gave dating back to 1930 and restored in 2026. He then performs the traditional rites of the pilgrim: he prays on his knees, touches the rock, drinks the spring water offered by the Sanctuary's rector Fr Michel Daubanes, lights a candle and presents a Golden Rose, entrusting France and the intentions of the sick and suffering present to Our Lady.

🎥 Videos

Pope Leo XIV's prayer at the Grotto of Massabielle

Highlights of the prayer at the Grotto of the Apparitions

📷 Photos

Pope Leo in prayer

The inauguration of the Leo XIV bridge

In the popemobile

The candles of Lourdes

📰 Articles

Vatican NewsOfficial

Pope Leo, a pilgrim in prayer at Lourdes

The account of the Pope's first moment of silent prayer at the Grotto of Massabielle, with the inauguration of the "Leo XIV Bridge" and the invocation for France.

📜 Speech text

Prayer at the Grotto of the Apparitions of Massabielle

Our Lady of Lourdes, the Immaculate Conception, in this blessed place you spoke with such gentleness and tenderness to Saint Bernadette, a humble daughter of the French people, to convey to the world a radiant message of prayer, conversion and hope. We turn to you with trust…

We pray to you, our Mother, for France, for you are her Patroness and have protected her for so many centuries. Grant its people the gift of fraternal harmony, so that they may build a harmonious society that banishes all violence and hatred, and allows everyone to work, to start a family and to live life to the fullest in peace and serenity. May the most disadvantaged and the poorest always be supported. Obtain for France wise and generous leaders, ready to make sacrifices, capable of responding to challenges, and eager to serve the common good. May they keep France at peace within the family of nations, and may they make her voice heard in promoting the defense of fundamental human rights and peace in the world, rejecting the mentality of war once and for all.

Blessed Virgin Mary, we present to you the People of God journeying in this country, which you have so deeply marked with your presence. Renew the faith and fervor of Christian families, who are so dear to your heart, so that they may live day by day in the presence of Jesus, in his grace, and with his support through the difficulties they face. May they be generously open to life, and may God awaken vocations within them, especially to the priesthood and religious life. Grant that your Church in France may show, especially to the youngest among them, the luminous path of the Gospel, so that they may build the just and fraternal society to which they aspire.

Finally, Mother full of love, we entrust to you our most urgent personal intentions, especially those of the sick and suffering, as well as all those who accompany them, who have come together to find strength and healing at the spring of Massabielle. We entrust to you our living and deceased loved ones. We pray that you will remove all the obstacles that still separate us from your beloved Son and that he may reign in all hearts.

Official source ↗