Overview

The sacred grotto at Massabieille, near the town of Lourdes in southern France, appeals to Catholics like no other place. This is the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, the place where Mary appeared to a humble peasant girl named Bernadette Soubirous in 1858 and spoke words of comfort and simple faith. At Mary's behest, Bernadette dug in the rocky soil of the grotto and struck water. A puddle soon became a spring that gushed forth waters that were recognized to have documented healing properties, baffling physicians and scientific experts. Some six million pilgrims visit Lourdes each year, making it the most popular place of pilgrimage in the world. One of these recent pilgrims was Fr. James Martin, an American Jesuit who went to Lourdes as chaplain for a group of pilgrims sponsored by the Order of Malta. Fr. Martin's illuminating account of seven busy and gratifying days at Massabieille--at turns touching, humorous, reverent, and self-effacing--is a vivid description of a place with a special, mysterious spiritual presence.

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9780829423976

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James Martin, SJ, is a Jesuit priest and associate editor of America, the national Catholic magazine. Before entering the Jesuits in 1988, he graduated from the Wharton School of Business and worked for six years in corporate America. He has written for a variety of magazines and newspapers, and is a frequent commentator on religion in the national media. He is the author of several award-winning books, including In Good Company: The Fast Track from the Corporate World to Poverty, Chastity and Obedience, and This Our Exile: A Spiritual Journey with the Refugees of East Africa. He also is the editor of Awake My Soul and Celebrating Good Liturgy. Father Martin's most recent book is the memoir My Life with the Saints.

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