Some 150,000 people have registered to attend the French Marian sanctuary during the Pontiff’s stay.
Registrations had begun on August 10 and it is no longer possible to make new reservations. “Given the exceptional expected attendance and to guarantee the best conditions for reception, security, and organization, the sanctuary has reached its maximum capacity,” the organization announced.
The response of pilgrims in Lourdes adds to that recorded in Paris since the opening of registrations for the apostolic journey. As InfoVaticana reported, the 80,000 places for the youth vigil at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis were filled within hours, while more than 200,000 people had already registered on the first day for the Mass that Leo XIV will celebrate in the Place de la Concorde.
Leo XIV’s stage in Lourdes
The Pope will arrive at the sanctuary on the afternoon of Saturday, September 26, coming from Paris, and will visit the Grotto of Massabielle for a moment of prayer.
On Sunday the 27th, he will meet with the French bishops and, at 11:00 a.m., will celebrate Holy Mass in the sanctuary meadow, followed by the recitation of the Angelus.
The day will also include a meeting with workers and people cared for at the Accueil Notre-Dame, dedicated especially to welcoming sick and disabled pilgrims, and a private meeting with contemplative nuns at the Carmel. In the evening, Leo XIV will preside over the Rosary and the traditional torchlight procession.
It will be Robert Francis Prevost’s return to Lourdes after having made pilgrimages to the sanctuary on two occasions before being elected Pope, when he was 19 and 29 years old.
The sanctuary finalizes preparations
The visit will take place amid the preparations that Lourdes has been developing for months to receive the Pontiff and the pilgrims.
Among the decisions adopted is that the mosaics by the former Jesuit Marko Rupnik will remain covered during the papal stay and afterward, within the process promoted by the Bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes, Monsignor Jean-Marc Micas.
Leo XIV’s trip to France will take place between September 25 and 28 and will include stops in Paris, Lourdes, and Metz. It will be the first visit by a Pontiff to Lourdes since the one made by Benedict XVI in September 2008.