In 1848, a 14-year-old French peasant girl claimed to have seen an apparition who identified herself as "the Immaculate Conception" while gathering firewood near a grotto in the southwestern village of Lourdes. After being told by the apparition, “Go to the spring, drink of the water and wash there," the girl discovered an underground spring, and ever since then, belief in the healing powers of its water has attracted people from around the world. Over the last 150 years, more than 200 million have journeyed to Lourdes in search of miracles.
Don Kladstrup travels to France to explore the spiritual significance and religious phenomenon of this holy place and how it provides hope to millions of pilgrims every year. According to Father James Martin, author of Lourdes Diary, “People are drawn here for many reasons — for physical healings, but also just to get closer to God, in a place with a great community of believers.” (Rebroadcast from July 11, 2008)
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