• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
After river flooding had forced the temporary closure of the famous grotto at the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in southern France Sept. 7, 2024, the grotto was cleaned and was reopened, with no pilgrimages canceled. Flooded grotto is seen on screenshot of the sanctuary's Sept. 7 video. (OSV News photo/courtesy Lourdes Sanctuary)

Flash flooding temporarily closes Lourdes’ grotto

September 9, 2024
By Maria Wiering
OSV News
Filed Under: Disaster Relief, Feature, News, World News

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

River flooding forced the temporary closure of the famous grotto at the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in southern France. The shrine complex remained open to visitors. A morning Mass, however, was canceled Sept. 7 at the major Catholic pilgrimage site, which has experienced several major floods in recent years.

“Sudden rise in the waters of the Gave de Pau flooded the Grotto and the Sanctuary,” the sanctuary stated Sept. 7 on X, formerly known as Twitter.

After river flooding had forced the temporary closure of the famous grotto at the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in southern France Sept. 7, 2024, the grotto was cleaned and was reopened, with no pilgrimages canceled. (OSV News photo/courtesy Lourdes Sanctuary)

A notice on its website Sept. 7 similarly read, “Flooding. Sanctuary doors remain open. Information on site,” with a photo showing the grotto partially submerged in water. Livestreamed video from the grotto on the afternoon of Sept. 7 indicated that the flood waters had receded, as it showed water from the adjacent Gave de Pau river rushing along, but contained by, a berm in front of the grotto’s plaza as workers used machinery to clean the area.

Later that day, the shrine released a statement saying that the grotto had been cleaned and was reopened, adding that no pilgrimages had been canceled. “The emergency flood protection plan has proved its effectiveness,” the statement read. “Celebrations will resume at the usual times, in all the Shrine’s basilicas and places of worship.”

After Sept. 8 Mass in Papua New Guinea, Pope Francis said: “Our thoughts are with the shrine of Lourdes, which has unfortunately been hit by a flood.”

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is a 130-acre shrine complex that includes 22 places of worship, including three basilicas. The Gave de Pau bends sharply around the shrine, skirting the grotto on the sanctuary’s north side. According to La Croix, a French Catholic media outlet, hundreds of pilgrims have been evacuated from their hotels. 

“The city is frequently subject to flooding and has adopted procedures related to this risk,” La Croix reported in French. 

The grotto is the site where 14-year-old St. Bernadette Soubirous reported 18 visions of Mary in 1858. Mary called for prayer and penance, and requested a chapel be built at the site. Mary identified herself as the “Immaculate Conception,” the Catholic dogma that Mary was born without original sin, which had been formally defined only four years earlier by Pope Pius IX.

Around 6 million people visit Lourdes annually, including pilgrims seeking healing in Lourdes’ baths, which contain water from a spring Bernadette discovered during Mary’s apparitions. While thousands of healings related to the waters have been reported, about 70 have been confirmed by the special medical commission permanently working at the shrine. 

The option of full immersion at the shrine’s baths was recently restored following its suspension during the COVID-19 pandemic. The fully opened baths were a draw for the record number of pilgrims — 7,000 — who participated in the annual Assumption pilgrimage to Lourdes in August, with thousands more attending the Aug. 15 feast day’s outdoor Mass at the shrine.

The Sept. 7 statement letting people know that the grotto was cleaned and reopened after the floods also said that “Water infiltration in the swimming pools requires a complete clean-up and a check of the facilities, resulting in a postponement of the reopening by a few days.”

The low-lying grotto has experienced major flooding in recent decades. Flooding in October 2012 caused about $3 million in damages. 

Flooding the following year, in June 2013, was much more extensive: The river rose 15 feet, flooding the grotto and other holy sites, including the sanctuary’s Basilica of St. Pius X, which is largely underground.

Flooding was also reported in September 2014 during a record-breaking rainfall. 

On June 13, 2018, the river rose nearly 10 feet and flooded the grotto, but the sanctuary’s flood defenses helped to prevent damage and protect the spring, and the grotto was reopened the following evening.

Watch a video of flooding at Lourdes by clicking the play button below:

YouTube video

Read More World News

Jubilee of Digital Missionaries

Festival of digital missionaries celebrates faithful witness in the digital age

Pilgrimage of Peace

US prelates head to Japan on ‘Pilgrimage of Peace’ amid nuclear fears old and new

jubilee 2025

World will hear young people’s joy, shouting for peace on earth, pope says

Catholic leaders ICE

Report on alleged conditions at ICE’s Florida detention sites prompts Catholic leaders’ call for change

RUSSIAN-ORTHODOX-meeting

Pope Leo meets with top Russian Orthodox cleric amid war, strained relations

new york city shooting

‘Never get used to violence,’ says NY cardinal after mass shooting in building near St. Patrick’s

Copyright © 2024 OSV News

Print Print

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

Primary Sidebar

Maria Wiering

Click here to view all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Detroit archbishop fires theologians Ralph Martin, Eduardo Echeverría from seminary

  • Warsaw archbishop ‘devastated, crushed’ by priest’s arrest in brutal murder of homeless man

  • Archdiocese of Baltimore offers resources for parishes to assist migrants

  • Conference of Major Superiors of Men Men’s religious leaders confront change with fraternity and faith

  • Third annual gun buyback scheduled for Aug. 9

| Latest Local News |

Grillo Family Reflection Space

Loyola University Maryland receives $1 million gift supporting aspiring educators, creation of reflection space

Sister Miriam Jansen, former director of international programs at Notre Dame of Maryland, dies at 86

Conference of Major Superiors of Men

Men’s religious leaders confront change with fraternity and faith

Sister Rose Sylvia Lindner, S.S.N.D., dies at 91

Radio Interview: The true story of ‘Xavier Rynne’

| Latest World News |

Jubilee of Digital Missionaries

Festival of digital missionaries celebrates faithful witness in the digital age

Pilgrimage of Peace

US prelates head to Japan on ‘Pilgrimage of Peace’ amid nuclear fears old and new

jubilee 2025

World will hear young people’s joy, shouting for peace on earth, pope says

Catholic leaders ICE

Report on alleged conditions at ICE’s Florida detention sites prompts Catholic leaders’ call for change

RUSSIAN-ORTHODOX-meeting

Pope Leo meets with top Russian Orthodox cleric amid war, strained relations

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Loyola University Maryland receives $1 million gift supporting aspiring educators, creation of reflection space
  • Festival of digital missionaries celebrates faithful witness in the digital age
  • Sister Miriam Jansen, former director of international programs at Notre Dame of Maryland, dies at 86
  • Movie Review: ‘Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight’
  • New law will help families access America’s Catholic schools
  • Home viewing roundup: What’s available to stream and what’s on horizon
  • How to grow in faith for back-to-school
  • US prelates head to Japan on ‘Pilgrimage of Peace’ amid nuclear fears old and new
  • World will hear young people’s joy, shouting for peace on earth, pope says

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

en Englishes Spanish
en en