On February 11, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, Pope Leo prayed in the Vatican gardens’ Lourdes grotto with a group of the sick.
The World Day of the Sick was initiated by Pope St John Paul II in 1992, who himself endured many long years of ill health. This year marks the day’s 34th celebration, which was initially chosen to coincide with the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.
The Lourdes shrine, situated in the south west of France, has long been associated with healing. Dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes, who appeared there to St Bernadette 18 times between February 11 and July 16, 1858, the shrine attracts about 3 million visitors each year, according to official figures from the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes.
