In September 2026, Lourdes will once again become the spiritual heart of the Catholic world.
Pope Leo XIV will visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes on September 26 and 27, 2026, during his Apostolic Journey to France. For millions of Catholics around the world, his pilgrimage to the Grotto of Massabielle will be much more than an official visit. It will be a powerful moment of prayer, hope and devotion to the Virgin Mary.
The Pope will pray at the Grotto of Massabielle
Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to arrive at Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées Airport on Saturday, September 26. Shortly afterwards, at 7:40 p.m., he will pray at the Grotto of the Apparitions, the very place where the Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858.
For generations of pilgrims, this simple rock grotto has been a place where prayers, suffering, gratitude and hope are entrusted to Mary.
It is also here that Bernadette discovered the spring whose water has become one of the most recognizable symbols of Lourdes throughout the world.
For those of us who feel deeply connected to Lourdes and its water, the image of the Pope praying before the Grotto will have a very special meaning.
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A day of prayer with the sick and pilgrims
Sunday, September 27, will be devoted almost entirely to Lourdes.
At 9:00 a.m., Pope Leo XIV will meet the bishops of France. At 11:00 a.m., he will celebrate Holy Mass on the Prairie of the Sanctuary, followed by the Angelus.
In the afternoon, he will meet the hospitaliers and sick people staying at the Accueil Notre-Dame. This encounter is particularly meaningful in Lourdes, where welcoming people who are sick, disabled or suffering has always been at the heart of the pilgrimage.
The Pope will then meet privately with contemplative religious sisters at the Carmelite monastery of Lourdes.
Finally, at 9:00 p.m., Pope Leo XIV will pray the Rosary and take part in the famous Marian torchlight procession, one of the most moving traditions of Lourdes.
The Sanctuary expects around 150,000 people to pray with the Pope during this historic visit, while millions more are expected to follow the celebrations through television and radio.
Pope Leo XIV already has a special connection with Lourdes
There is another beautiful dimension to this pilgrimage.
On February 11, 2026, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and the World Day of the Sick, Pope Leo XIV prayed with sick people at the Lourdes Grotto in the Vatican Gardens.
On that occasion, he reflected on Mary as a mother who accompanies us and helps us understand suffering, love and the act of placing our lives in God's hands.
Only a few months later, he will stand before the original Grotto of Massabielle in Lourdes itself.
Order here real Lourdes Water, shipping worldwide
Lourdes and the Popes: a long history
The relationship between Lourdes and the papacy stretches back more than 150 years.
Saint John Paul II travelled to Lourdes in 1983 and again in 2004, while Pope Benedict XVI made his pilgrimage in 2008, for the 150th anniversary of the Apparitions. Pope Leo XIV's visit will now open a new chapter in this long spiritual relationship between the Holy See, Lourdes and the millions of pilgrims who come to the Sanctuary.
The timing is especially symbolic: 2026 also marks the 150th anniversary of the canonical coronation of Our Lady of Lourdes.
From Lourdes to the world
Not everyone who feels close to Our Lady of Lourdes is able to make the journey to France.
Yet the message of Lourdes has never been limited by distance.
Prayer intentions travel to the Grotto from every part of the world. Candles are lit for people thousands of miles away. And Lourdes water remains, for countless families, a tangible reminder of the spring discovered by Bernadette and of the message of prayer, conversion and hope associated with Lourdes.
At www.lourdes-water.org, we have been helping people around the world remain connected with Lourdes, providing information about Lourdes and making Lourdes water and devotional items from France available to those who cannot make the pilgrimage themselves.
The visit of Pope Leo XIV will remind the world once again that Lourdes is not simply a place on a map.
It is a place where people come with their hopes, their illnesses, their fears and their prayers — and where, since 1858, millions have found comfort in Mary's simple invitation to faith and trust.
On September 26 and 27, the eyes of the Catholic world will once again turn toward the little town at the foot of the Pyrenees.
And at the heart of it all will be the Grotto, the spring, and a Pope coming to Lourdes not only as the head of the Church, but as a pilgrim among pilgrims.
Learn more about Lourdes and Lourdes water:
www.lourdes-water.org
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