Pilgrimage

Why would someone go on pilgrimage?

• Practice penance

• Strengthen faith

• Seek forgiveness

• Connect with people the same religion

• Reflect

• Meditate

Info on LOURDES

• known for it’s healing qualities

• people worship in the grotto where it is believed that Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette

• Daily processions take place e.g the candle lit and blessed sacrament procession

• Contains several churches e.g the Basillica of the Immaculate conception and the basillica of Our Lady of the Rosary

• Statue of Our Lady representing Mary

• The sick are prayed for, anointed and taken care of and taken to the baths

• prayers and services are believed to bring real blessings

Describe Bernadette’s visions of Mary at Lourdes

• Bernadette had a series of visions of Mary at Lourdes in 1858.

• The visions occurred in a small cave or grotto.

• She saw ‘the lady’ 18 times.

• She described the vision as a lady of great beauty, dressed in a white robe with a blue sash, a veil over her head, a rosary clasped in her hands and yellow roses at her feet.

• The lady asked her to say her rosary.

• The lady made various requests of Bernadette, including telling the priests to build a chapel there and to pray for the conversion of sinners. Bernadette followed the requests.

• When asked, the lady said she was the ‘Immaculate Conception’.

• She asked Bernadette to dig in the soil to find water. Bernadette scraped away soil beside the grotto until a spring of water started to trickle out

Info on HOLYWELL

• Where the legend of St. Winifred happened

• She got beheaded and a spring formed where she hit her head and died, she was then resurrected by her uncle st. bueno

• A place of unbroken pilgrimage for 1300 years

• Contains a crypt, outer pool and chapel

• outerpool is thought to have healing qualities

Info on HOLYLAND

• Church of Nativity stands over the site that stands over the cave of Bethlehem

• People pray where jesus was thought to be born

• Oldest church, was built in 4CE

• Pilgrims go along the Via Dolorosa which is thought to be where Jesus carried the cross

• The 14 station help pilgrims reflect

• The Holy Sepulchre is at the end and built where jesus is thought to be crucified

Info on CARDIGAN

• Shrine to the statue of Our Lady and Child

• Appeared in the banks of river Teifi

• Located in South West Wales

• Over 800 years old

ARGUMENTS FOR;

• Strengthens faith

• Healing

• Prayer

• Reflection

• Meet other believers

• Practice faith

• New / enhanced perspective

• Appropriate environment to fully focus

• Gives a sense of identity and belonging

• Gives a stronger spiritual connection with god

• Shows the individuals commitment to God

• escape everyday life

ARGUMENTS AGAINST;

• God is omnipresent

• Use money to donate to practice the teaching of love thy neighbour and the parable of the Sheep and Goats

• Business/profit commercialised

• Doesn’t work

• Other alternatives to become more closer to God

• Expensive and some people may have other commitment such as family and work

• People who are ill or have disability cannot go