History

Hospitality is high chivalry for the modern age.

• 1958
  Centennial of Apparitions. The Basilica of St. Pius X is consecrated by Cardinal Roncalli, the future Pope John XXIII.
• 1949
  The Grotto source channeling system is inaugurated and a glass pane installed to offer pilgrims a view of the source.
• 1948
  The first pilgrimage flight arrives.
• 1933
  Bernadette Soubirous is canonized.
• 1928
  The Hospitalité Notre-dame de Lourdes is raised to the rank of archconfraternity.
• 1901
  The Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary is consecrated with delegations from all continents.
• 1888
  The Procession of the Blessed Sacrament takes place.
• 1885
  The Hospitalité Notre-dame de Lourdes is founded to welcome pilgrims to the sanctuary of Lourdes.
  The Hospitalité Notre-Dame de Lourdes is established as a Confraternity by Msgr. Billére. It is inspired by the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller, which sees pilgrims and sick and poor people as “our Lords, the sick and the poor”.
• 1882
  Hospitality conditions for pilgrims and sick people are developed.
• 1878
  The “Hôpital des douleurs” is inaugurated.
• 1873
  The Notre-dame de Salut association organizes a “national” pilgrimage with 492 sick people.
• 1871
  The basilica of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is blessed.
• 1864
  First official ceremony: Fabisch’s Virgin Mary statue is blessed in the grotto.
• 1862
  The Church declares the Virgin’s apparition to Bernadette to be authentic.
• 1858
  The Virgin appears to little Bernadette Soubirous.