The sacredness of St Bernadette’s visit

Gerard Bennett

Every now and then, you realise that you are part of something historic, quite possibly, a once-in-a-lifetime moment. In that situation, you don’t want to miss anything; you know you want to recall each part of this special time.

So it was when the relics of St Bernadette visited the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Inchicore, Dublin in October 2024. They arrived just before lunch on Wednesday, October 23 and left for the Franciscan church of Adam & Eve’s on Merchant’s Quay in Dublin, before lunch on Friday.  And between those two times, the arrival of the relics and their departure, was one of the most beautiful times ever in Inchicore.

It all began, of course, a long time ago! Initially, it was planned that the relics would visit Ireland in 2020, but Covid struck and like most things, the visit was cancelled. The   rescheduled date of the visit of the relics to Ireland commenced in September 2024. Over two months, it travelled to every diocese in Ireland and to two one order, the Franciscans, and one congregation, the Oblates.

Crowds

The reality of the visit struck home when I arrived at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Mullingar, to collect the relics and drive them to Inchicore. I always knew that this would be a special trip but from the moment that I sat behind the wheel, with the relics, and a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes securely stowed behind, I was aware of the sacredness of this time.  Usually, when in a vehicle alone, I turn on the radio – but not that day.  Initially, I was silent, taking it in, the incredible privilege of the journey that I was making, and as the journey began, and I left Mullingar behind, I started to pray! And when I had finished the Rosary, I just talked to St Bernadette!

People began to gather outside the closed doors of the church from about 1pm; already, the feeling in the air of something very special taking place and it never left the place. The church was never quiet and certainly, never empty. For the liturgies, the church was standing room only, with people standing in the aisle and every available seating place (including extra seating installed for the visit) fully occupied.  And no-one complained; there was always that feeling of the privilege felt by being present.  Standing, or waiting in a queue, was a small price to pay for the opportunity to be there during those days.

And it wasn’t just the people of Inchicore and the nearby areas of Bluebell, Kilmainham, Ballyfermot, and other neighbourhoods.  People came from all parts of the city and indeed, beyond the city, from parts of Kildare, Meath, and Wicklow.  I even heard of people who came from Galway, as they wanted to visit the relics when they were in the “Irish Lourdes” as the Grotto in Inchicore is often called!

Special

Everything about this visit was special.  The primary purpose behind the visit of the relics was to give those who have not been able to go to Lourdes, the opportunity for a ‘Lourdes pilgrimage experience’ at home.  For this reason, we had the water gesture, replicating the baths experience and which took place at the Grotto in Inchicore, we had the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and blessing of the sick, following the example of the Blessed Sacrament Procession and adoration that takes place every afternoon in Lourdes at 5pm.  And of course, we had the Torchlight Marian Procession, echoing the same procession that occurs in Lourdes every night of the week at 9pm.

The Torchlight Procession was a profound experience of the presence of God and of the love for Our Lady.  The church was crowded, now in darkness of course.  And once the opening prayers were recited, the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes, carried by a team from the Oblate Youth Service and accompanied by a local Scout troop, made its way from the church door, through the school grounds, around the basketball centre, and on to the Oblate garden that adjoins the Grotto.  We processed past the Community Cemetery, the final resting place of so many Oblates. And of course, there was a certain poignancy in this for those of us who are associated with the pilgrimage itself as on the previous Monday, only three days earlier, the former Director of the pilgrimage and a wonderful friend to so many, Fr Vincent Mullingan OMI, was laid to rest in that same cemetery.  He would have been so thrilled with this moment!

Lourdes

It was almost possible to believe that this is the same Torchlight Procession in which we have participated in Lourdes for decades.

All too soon, this visit was over.  But in those days, thousands of people came to venerate the relics, to have those few moments of personal quiet and person prayer standing next to the reliquary containing the relics.  Who can imagine the prayers said there?  And those who came were the old and the young, families, the sick, the infirm.  And what was inspiring throughout was that, even for the young, without being told, there was the unspoken realisation that this was not an ‘Instagram’ moment – no!  It didn’t need to be said.

There were so many situations, conversations, over the days of the visit but one stands out and tells its own story.  On the second day of the visit, I took a phone call from a woman who wanted to have Mass cards sent to her.  So, I went to the post-box.  The box was full; it was impossible to get my envelope into the box – and it wasn’t a big envelope. I spoke with one of those managing the car park for the visit, a man very familiar with Inchicore, and told him what had happened, and I speculated that with the business park across the road, the school adjoining the Oblate house, perhaps this is always a busy box?  No, he said.  He told me that all day, people were buying Mass cards, writing the address on the envelope, putting on the stamp, and placing it in the post-box!  Not alone were people making a visit themselves to the relics but there was the overwhelming response of those same people joining those who could not be there, by sending them a Mass card.  And doing so in such big numbers that the post-box was full to capacity (and beyond)!

This was, truly, a visit for which words cannot do justice.  It was a visit that was felt deep inside, and one whose memory will live on.

Gerard Bennett, from Co. Westmeath, is the President of the Oblate Lourdes Pilgrimage Hospitalité. Gerard has been travelling to Lourdes as a volunteer with both the Oblates and as a hospitalier for many years.