Official recognition of 68th miracle of Lourdes

From Independent Catholic News:

Lourdes torchlight procession A new miracle has been officially recognised at Lourdes today.  The unexplained cure of Italian nun, Sister Luigina Traverso,  has been officialy declared a 'miracle' today by Mgr Alceste Catella, Bishop of Casale Monferrato in Italy, the diocese in which the Salesian Sister resides. A press statement from the Communication Service of the Sanctuary of Lourdes this afternoon, states: 'On the occasion of the opening of the Year of Faith, this 11th October 2012, we have great joy in announcing the recognition of the 68th miracle attributed to the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes'. The new bishop of the diocese of Tarbes and Lourdes, Mgr Nicolas Brouwet, together with Doctor Alessandro de Franciscis, President of the Office of Medical Observations of Lourdes will be holding a press conference tomorrow in Lourdes. We will be carrying further reports tomorrow. For further information visit thte official Lourdes website here: http://www.lourdes-france.org/index.php?goto_centre=ru&contexte=en&id=405

Piscines

"The Lourdes authorities plan to move its baths for pilgrims from the crowded concrete building near the famous grotto to a field just across the Gave River that allows more room for a modern and more welcoming structure. The new facility should open in 2014. Announcing the decision, Jacques Perrier, the retiring bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes, said the waiting area at the current site was not well suited for meditation before the bath and the building lacked individual changing rooms. The area was also said to be overcrowded during peak pilgrimage periods."

(Thanks to Richard King)

New Bishop for Lourdes

Yesterday, a new Bishop of Tarbes & Lourdes was announced at the Grotto. The official Lourdes website states: "On February 11, at midday, at the Grotto, the archbishop of Toulouse, Mgr Robert Gall, announced that the Pope Benedict XVI had just named Mgr Nicolas Brouwet as the new Bishop of the diocese of Tarbes and Lourdes. He succeeds Mgr Jacques Perrier, who has been Bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes for the last fifteen years."

A video is available here of the Service is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOADftKiiSA

Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and the World Day of Prayer for the Sick. Please pray for all sick members of the CA Pilgrimage and the Hospitalité on this very special day for them.



Lourdes TV will be showing the following ceremonies LIVE on their website here:

10am - International Mass
5pm - Blessed Sacrament Procession
9pm - Torchlight

Lourdes News: GPS Blunders

GPS blunders see Lourdes pilgrims travel to village of Lourde.

A small, but rising portion of the six million pilgrims who flock to the world's third most visited Catholic shrine in Lourdes are showing up at another, rather less well-known village called Lourde.

• See Telegraph article