1ST PATIENT WITHOUT SEVERE FORM COVID-19 WELCOMED AT NOTRE DAME DE LOURDES

USPA NEWS - The Holly sanctuary of Notre Dame de Lourdes (Hautes Pyrenees in France) receiving each year three million pilgrims (M 3), has many medical beds (rooms, equipped with Oxygen), and could be requested by the French State, in order to '' welcome patients suffering from COVID-19, in the intensive care stage or not, during this period of fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Francois Labadie, Director of the Reception of the Sanctuary of Our Notre Dame de Lourdes has agreed to answer our questions about the 864 beds and their availability as well as the new reorganization of the sanctuary during confinement to combat COVDI-19. Francois, also answers us about the new provisions since the closure of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Loures since the confinement of March 17, last. « We started welcoming a patient this week who does not have a severe form of the disease. » Francois Labadie recognized.

Notre Dame de Lourdes is the name under which the Catholic faithful designate the Virgin Mary appearing eighteen times to Bernadette Soubirous, on February 11, 1858, in the Massabielle cave, on the banks of the Gave de Pau, in Lourdes in France. During the apparitions of Lourdes, according to Bernadette, the Virgin was present as "The Immaculate Conception" "" I saw a lady dressed in white: she was wearing a white dress, also a white veil, a blue belt and a yellow rose on each foot. Bernadette made the sign of the cross and recited the rosary with the Lady. The prayer finished, the Lady suddenly disappears. " She says. Since then, these apparitions, and the miraculous effects of the spring water of the Gave, thousands of pilgrims flock every year, to pray to the Virgin Mary, and be healed and benefit from the effects of the miraculous water of Lourdes. The first miraculous healing took place on March 1, 1858. We publish the Francois Labadie Director fo Reception Notre Dame de Lourdes interview . (Comments collected by such and written, via email, from Francois Labadie, by our reporter from USPA) INTERVIEW FRANCOIS LABADIE DIRECTOR OF THE RECEPTION OF THE SANCTUARY NOTRE DAME DE LOURDES----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1-USPA QUESTION: NOTRE DAME DE LOURDES IS CURRENTLY CLOSED SINCE WHEN OVER THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK?----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ANSWER FRANCOIS LABADIE: The Accueil Notre Dame has a seasonal activity and traditionally opens its doors from mid-March to mid-November. We were to start our activity on March 18 and welcome the Assembly of Bishops of France, then the first pilgrimages of the sick in early April. In fact, we did not open the establishment due to the confinement of France the day before its opening, namely March 17.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2-QUESTION USPA: DID YOU REFER THE ACTIVITY OF NOTRE DAME DE LOURDES WITH RESPECT TO THE POOR IN CONTAINMENT?------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ANSWER FRANCOIS LABADIE: Our establishment being closed to pilgrimages, and the confinement having to be total, we had not planned any reorientation in the immediate future.--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3-QUESTION USPA: IS IT TRUE THAT YOU HAVE 1300 MEDICAL BEDS EQUIPPED WITH OXYGENE TO NOTRE DAME DE LOURDES?------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ANSWER FRANCOIS LABADIE: We have precisely 864 beds distributed in 331 rooms of 1, 2, 3 and 6 beds. Almost all of these rooms have oxygen.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4-QUESTION USPA: IF YES, HAVE THEY BEEN MADE AVAILABLE TO THE FRENCH STATE?-------------------------- ANSWER FRANCOIS LABADIE: The French state services (Prefecture and Regional Health Agency) have in fact asked us to put around twenty beds at their disposal to accommodate patients of COVID-19. We started welcoming a patient this week who does not have a severe form of the disease.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5-QUESTION USPA: CAN ITALIAN PATIENTS BENEFIT FROM THEMSE BEDS AS WELL AS THE FRENCH PATIENTS TO NOTRE DAME DE LOURDES?-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ANSWER FRANCOIS LABADIE: In absolute terms, we could welcome any patient, but this situation seems impossible to me in view of the difficulties that this would cause. 6-QUESTION USPA : HOW DO YOU CONSIDER THE EASTER CELEBRATIONS IN THIS UNIQUE PERIOD OF CONTAINMENT OVER THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK?--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ANSWER FRANCOIS LABADIE: This is a matter for the religious. The reception of Notre Dame being confined and therefore empty, it is obvious that the Easter holiday takes on a unique and very sad character this year.-------------------------- 7-QUESTION USPA: HAVE YOU SET UP A REMOTE DEVICE TO KEEP IN CONTACT WITH THE PILGRIMS? (DIGITAL, VIRTUAL)-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ANSWER FRANCOIS LABADIE: I am in permanent contact with the French and foreign pilgrimages which were to come essentially, since the beginning of April and those whose pilgrimage, usually, must v´e taking place in the coming days and weeks. It is dejection and sadness for all of us. Fortunately, the Sanctuary continues to broadcast, live through our website and TV Lourdes. It helps them a lot..../

APPEARANCES OF THE VIRGIN MARY TO LOURDES AND FIRST MIRACULOUS HEALING--------------------------- About the Virgin Mary who appeared to Bernadette Soubirous, Three hundred people are present. Bernadette says: "She tells me to go drink at the source (...). I only found a little muddy water. On the fourth try I could drink. She also made me eat a grass which was near the fountain then the vision disappeared and I went away. In front of the crowd who asked him, "Do you know that you think you are crazy for doing such things?" She replies, "This is for sinners. " Then on March 11, 1858, the first miraculous healing took place in Lourdes, when more than 1,500 people were gathered and among them, for the first time, a priest. During the night, Catherine Latapie, a Lourdaise friend, goes to the Cave, she dips her dislocated arm in the spring water: her arm and her hand regain their flexibility.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The last appearance of the Virgin Mary to Bernadette Soubirous was connected on July 16, 1858: Bernadette feels the mysterious call of the Grotto, but access to Massabielle is prohibited and closed by a palisade. So she goes opposite, on the other side of the Gave ... and sees the Virgin Mary, one last time: "It seemed to me that I was in front of the cave, at the same distance as the other times, I only saw the Virgin, I have never seen her so beautiful! " Source: Our Lady of Lourdes

A REMOTE PRAYER DURING THE CONTAINMENT OF COVID-19--------------------------------------------------------------- In a world which is in the grip of fear and suffering, with conflicts, migrations, injustices, the epidemic of the Coronavirus“¦ The mission of Lourdes is to bring prayer and Hope for the world. (Our Lady of Lourdes). On March 11, the last in this period of the COVID-19 pandemic which affects almost the whole world, Pope Francois published a prayer to the Virgin Mary on twitter: “Under Your protection, we seek refuge, Holy Mother of God. Do not despise the pleas of those among us who are in trial, and deliver us from all danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin. "  Source: Sanctuary, Notre Dame de Lourdes