Mass said in Lourdes for Middle Eastern Christian refugees

Many immigrant refugees in Europe make the pilgrimage to Lourdes, France. Recently, Church officials acknowledged their plight with a Mass.

Lourdes, the city of miracles recognized by the Catholic Church, has always attracted dozens of different nationalities during its annual pilgrimages. This year, 2018, during the great procession, a banner representing a group of Middle Eastern Christians was visible. Many of them have fled their war-torn countries held by jihadists to seek asylum in France, the Netherlands, Spain, etc.—places where they can live their faith freely.

On Tuesday, August 14th, the fourth day of the Assumption pilgrimage in Lourdes, a special Mass was celebrated for Middle East refugees. “When they left their country, they lost everything: belongings, job, land, and a future,” said Bishop Pascal Gollnisch, director of the Catholic organization “Oeuvre d'Orient” (France). “Here, they are on a healing pilgrimage of faith,” the prelate added.

One of them, Hind, testifies: “When we were in Iraq, we dreamed of going to Lourdes.” Her husband agrees: “We are in a free country now. We want to stay here for the rest of our lives. I don’t want my children to experience war, and all the other things we saw over there.”

Adapted from Valeurs Actuelles magazine