Pope Leo XIV will begin his pilgrimage to France on 26th September 2026, with his visit to Lourdes running from the 26th to the 28th. His first stop, on arrival, will be the Grotto of Massabielle, the site where Our Lady appeared to Saint Bernadette in 1858 and one of the most visited places of pilgrimage in the Catholic world.

For those of us who love Lourdes, this is a special moment. The Grotto has drawn millions of pilgrims seeking healing, peace, and a closer walk with Our Lady, and having the Holy Father pray there in person brings fresh attention to a place already so dear to so many.

The Visit at a Glance

The Holy Father is expected to land at Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées Airport on the evening of Saturday 26th September, and go directly to the Grotto to pray at the place of the apparitions. The following day, he will celebrate an open-air Mass at the Sanctuary before leading a candlelit rosary procession that evening, a scene Lourdes has witnessed nightly for well over a century, this time with the Pope himself in the crowd. His journey through France then continues on to Metz on the 28th.

Why the Grotto Matters

In 1858, a fourteen-year-old girl named Bernadette Soubirous reported eighteen apparitions of Our Lady at this small limestone cave on the edge of Lourdes. It was there that the spring now visited by millions began to flow, and where Bernadette, later canonised Saint Bernadette, was asked to have a chapel built and to call people to prayer and penance. The Grotto has been a place of pilgrimage, healing and quiet devotion ever since.

Here at Marian Holy Art, we will be marking the occasion in the days around the visit. If you have your own rosary, medal, or keepsake from Lourdes, or you are looking for one to mark this moment, take a look through our collection. We will keep this page updated as more details of the visit are confirmed.