Priest to speak on Lourdes

One of the world's foremost authorities on St. Bernadette of Lourdes will be in the Albany Diocese later this month to talk about the Marian apparitions in that French town in 1858.

The North American Volunteers of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospitality are sponsoring the four-day Lourdes Mission at St. Pius X Church in Loudonville.

It will be led by a chaplain of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Pere Regis-Marie de la Teyssonniere.

Marian site

In an email interview with The Evangelist, Father de la Teyssonniere said the purpose of the mission is to "renew the awareness of Lourdes and St. Bernadette."

The Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes is located in the southwestern part of France, close to the border with Spain. He comes from a farming family whose members are all involved at the shrine as volunteers.

"As a child, I was consecrated to Our Lady of Lourdes at the shrine," he said. "After my ordination, I was sent to Lourdes as a chaplain and remained there for nine years. During the winters, I traveled through France and Europe to speak about Our Lady of Lourdes and to help groups prepare annual pilgrimages to the shrine."

In more recent years, he has been sent by his bishop around the world to spread the messages of Mary at her appearances to St. Bernadette in 1858.

Bernadette

The priest said that "what is characteristic in Bernadette's young life is her humanity. She had very good human qualities, not because she received special talents from God, but because she had always accomplished what had to be done with simplicity. She is a great saint of simplicity."

In his talks at the mission, Father de la Teyssonniere plans to speak about the visions.

"The Blessed Virgin, in her appearances, gave Bernadette her own experience of Christian life," he explained. "Bernadette experienced the Gospel through the apparitions. The Gospel is no different in Lourdes than anywhere else in the world. What is different in Lourdes is that all are invited to enter the Gospel through concrete experiences -- to touch the rock, to drink the water, to wash with the water, to carry the light."

(The mission will include Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, talks by Father de la Teyssonniere, a candlelight procession and the virtual pilgrimage, a 90-minute journey via computer projection of a pilgrimage to Lourdes. The mission runs from 3-4:30 p.m. on April 22, and from 7-8:30 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at St. Pius X Church in Loudonville. For directions, call 462-1336.)

(4/12/07) [[In-content Ad]]