Pilgrimage to Lourdes: this time a little differently

In the middle of last month we went on a somewhat unusual trip with a group of clients - a pilgrimage to Lourdes in France. We continued the tradition of pre-pandemic pilgrimage trips to Rome and to this pilgrimage site, where we went with parishes from the surrounding area. This year we went with the parish of Halenkov... and let's be honest, it was one of the best, but also one of the most surprising trips we've been on recently.

Day One: Prophecy is fulfilled

It became clear that this would not be just an ordinary trip in the evening after leaving Lideček, where we had a traditional pilgrimage mass before departure and a festive dinner at the Na Formance Restaurant. A few minutes after departure, several members of the expedition pulled out suspicious bottles of transparent drink. The subtly spoken words of P. Jan, our spiritual accompanist and also the tour's booker, who had subtly warned us a few weeks before the trip, "Well, you know, we are believers, but such normal... "We'll be happy to have a glass of wine and a pint and a laugh." After a week with this group, we have to admit that they lived up to his words - and drew even us delegates and drivers into the joyous atmosphere.

Our journey to Lourdes took us through the greatest jewels of northern Italy. First we stopped in Venice, where we took a vaporetto boat bus to the city center, followed by an unforgettable mass in the crypt of the golden-adorned St. Mark's Basilica (where you are not allowed to take pictures.. so we have few photos). From Venice, in the afternoon we went to nearby Padova, whose long history and pleasant atmosphere surprised many a pilgrim. We also prayed at the tomb of St. Anthony, the Portuguese saint who accompanied us throughout the pilgrimage. We then spent the night in Cremona, the famous violin-making centre that gave the world the famous local native Antonio Stradivari.

Day two: From the Gendarme to the Master on the Rhone

The next day we left early in the morning for St. Tropez, which our countrymen know mainly thanks to the comedies about Chetnik. After the necessary photo shoot at the gendarme station, we managed to pull off a stunt - through the intercession of all the saints, we managed to arrange a mass in the local church, where a baptism was in progress.

Arranging masses in small rural churches in France is a big problem, their websites are often out of date and emails are often not answered (an honourable exception is the pilgrimage site of Lourdes, which has created a really simple and clear booking system to cope with the large number of pilgrims). Here, we managed to secure mass only because we caught the local parish priest right in front of the church as he was saying goodbye to the parishioners. After a few sentences in French, a few in English and many in Italian, he finally allowed Fr. John to celebrate Mass in his beautiful church that afternoon, for which we thank him very much once again.

We had an hour before the start of the mass, so we used the time to hike up to the fortress above the city, where we had a beautiful view of the bay with its beautiful translucent water of the Côte d'Azur, as well as the house of Brigitte Bardot and other famous French and international celebrities who spend their summer holidays on the opposite peninsula.

From St. Tropez we went to Avignon (on the way we watched, as it were, the Gendarme from St. Tropez). In the city of French popes and defiant popes, we saw the town hall square, the papal palace, and the Basilica of Notre Dame next door. On the nearby Mount St. John XXII with a magnificent view, we were already met by a strong French master who accompanied us for the rest of our pilgrimage. We spent the night in a beautiful retro hotel near the city.

Day 3: Surprises on the way and the first day in Lourdes

The third day belonged to the approaching Lourdes. On the way, however, a surprise awaited our pilgrims. On the route we were waiting for a town that most pilgrims to Lourdes see only from the highway, but never get to. We went there on this day - and it was definitely worth it. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Carcassonne.

The centre of the Cathar Revolt is now one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe. Its massive walls tower over the valley of the River Aude, which is crossed by an ancient bridge below the city. In the city, you'll find a stunning Gothic cathedral, an inner castle and an intricate system of medieval streets with shops selling quirky souvenirs and local culinary delights.

If we were gonna lose someone, it's here... and he's lost. The lady found herself after a few minutes, but as a reward she told us a story on the bus about a lady from South Moravia who, during the time of deep totalitarianism, got all possible permits and went to Lourdes. After a journey of almost a month, she returned home with jerry cans of Lourdes water, which she then shared throughout Moravia. How did she do it? With the motto "just a drop of water and a bucket of faith", she diluted it with Czech water and shared it with everyone she knew. She became an inspiration to many, including our pilgrims.

Day four: Unforgettable Lourdes

In the evening we arrived at Lourdes, where two days of rest, prayer and spiritual refreshment awaited us. We began with Mass in the crypt directly above the grotto where the Virgin Mary appeared to the young Bernadette Soubirous more than 150 years ago (you can read the story of the apparition here).

Today, thanks to this event, Lourdes is one of the most important Roman Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world, with an unforgettable atmosphere and influence on the lives of many people. One of these people is Delíza Cirolli, who at the age of ten was diagnosed by doctors with osteosarcoma, a malignant bone cancer. Two months after returning from Lourdes, she woke up one morning feeling healthy. Follow-up examinations showed that there was no sign of the sarcoma, which science has not yet been able to explain. This miraculous healing was recognized by the Church in 1989, adding to the dozens of other cases that have taken place at this site.

Everyone experienced the visit to this place in their own way. Some people felt best when praying at the Cave of Revelation, others when bathing in the healing waters of Lourdes. The nightly candlelight procession, during which every evening pilgrims fill the huge square in front of the cathedral, praying in procession with candles and Marian songs, also left a strong impression. And someone may have met God in a café near the square. As the saying goes, the ways of the Lord are inscrutable, which is why any attempt to describe the events of a stay in Lourdes sooner or later finds that words are simply not enough...

Day 5: Lavender-scented Marseille and the contrasts of Monaco

We left Lourdes again early in the morning and during the rest of the night we drove towards Provence. At Carcassonne we were caught by a beautiful sunrise, a photo of which you can find below. Was it a sign of a better tomorrow? We shall see. Anyway, our first stop was the capital of the region, known primarily for soap making and lavender growing - Provence's Marseille.

Our feet were aching and we had little time, so we took the train up to the Basilica of Our Lady of the Guard. But oh, my. The aforementioned master from Avignon had gained momentum and the view of the town and the island of If was closed. In the 15 years we've been coming to Marseille, this is the first time something like this has happened. But we still got into the basilica by its pedestal, where stairs lead up to the crypt as well as to the main rooms with boats hanging out and bizarre paintings with scenes where it is believed that the intercession of the Virgin Mary saved the lives of sailors, aviators, drivers and other travelers. The wind didn't let up, so we were able to take the sprawling photos you see below while waiting for our ride.

The second stop on the way back to the Czech Republic was Monaco. Why Monaco on the pilgrimage route? Because life is about contrasts, through which we always best see its beauty. After a spiritual program in the basilicas, a visit to a Monaco casino was a reminder to live their faith first and foremost in the world - and for some, it even brought a win, a straight 6 euro in roulette.

Otherwise, Monaco was in the midst of preparations for the weekend's Formula E races, so the otherwise easy route to the casino turned into a winding pilgrimage between the stands and paddocks with racing monopoles. But who can say they were walking on a track that would be used in a few hours by the fastest drivers on the planet?

Day 6: Encounter with holiness and Italian comfort in Genoa

We spent the night in a beautiful hotel on the Ligurian coast, from where we set off in the morning to meet the last day of our pilgrimage. Our first journey took us into the mountains, to the picturesque town of Sassello. The tiny village near Savona would be little known today if not for the birth in October 1971 of Chiara "Luce" Badano, a member of the Focolare Movement, who died of bone cancer at the age of eighteen. For her care of the elderly and the sick, as well as children and the young, this young woman of faith was beatified in 2010 and is considered one of the most famous modern saints.

A second surprise awaited us in the town. While arranging a mass in the local church (where, for a change, no one answered our emails), we came across a small local community that has made it their mission to keep the legacy of the Chiari and their ideas alive today. This community provided us not only with a Mass in the church, but also with the lively testimony of Simona, Chiari's high school classmate, who gave us her first-hand experience of this (hopefully) future saint and how she experienced her death and beatification. The powerful story was a great encouragement to all and, dare we say, a highlight of the last day of the pilgrimage.

After the mass we went to a local restaurant, where a concert of Italian gastronomy awaited us. This was followed by a trip to nearby Genoa, our last stop. With a slow, lumbering pace (we were all tired by now), we reached the local cathedral, where we parted ways and had a good Italian coffee, focaccia and ice cream. Then it was just a matter of boarding the bus, chatting and going home... and an impromptu evening of music performed by our singers, which lasted late into the night.

On behalf of the Riviera Tour we would like to thank all the pilgrims who participated in the trip. You have created an unforgettable community that will remain in our hearts for a long time. Thank you for trusting our travel agency to organize the pilgrimage and we hope to meet you on another pilgrimage (or cruise) soon.

Za Riviera Tour,

Dominik a Pavel, delegate

Staňa and Mira, drivers