LOURDES, France — River flooding has forced the temporary closure of the famous grotto at the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in southern France. The shrine complex remained open to visitors, but a morning Mass was canceled at the Catholic pilgrimage site, which has experienced several floods in recent years. “Sudden rise in the waters of the Gave de Pau flooded the Grotto and the Sanctuary,” the sanctuary stated Sept. 7 on X, formerly known as Twitter. After Sept. 8 Mass in Papua New Guinea, Pope Francis said: “Our thoughts are with the shrine of Lourdes, which has unfortunately been hit by a flood.” Livestreamed video from the grotto on the afternoon of Sept. 7 indicated that the flood waters had receded, as it showed water from the adjacent Gave de Pau river rushing along, but contained by, a berm in front of the grotto’s plaza as workers used machinery to clean the area. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is a 130-acre shrine complex that includes 22 places of worship, including three basilicas. The Gave de Pau bends sharply around the shrine, skirting the grotto on the sanctuary’s north side. Later that day, the shrine released a statement saying that the grotto had been cleaned and was reopened, adding that no pilgrimages had been canceled. (OSV News)
