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The Lourdes Shrine in France has confirmed that 150,000 of the faithful will be in attendance for Pope Leo XIV’s visit to the site of the Virgin Maryʼs apparitions to St. Bernadette Soubirous. The pontiff is scheduled to arrive on the afternoon of Saturday, Sept. 26, and will celebrate Mass the following day.
With the official registration period now closed, shrine officials reported that, due to the “exceptionally high turnout expected,” they will ensure “the best possible conditions for welcoming visitors, safety, and organization,” as the site reaches “maximum capacity.”
“There will be 150,000 of us praying with the pope at the shrine. Millions more will be tuning in via television and radio,” the shrine said in its latest news bulletin.
The shrine noted that registrations can no longer be modified and that instructions regarding the assignment of sectors and access routes to the venue will be sent via email in the coming days.
Preparations for Leo XIV’s visit
In recent weeks, preparations have continued at the venue to welcome the pontiff, including permanent improvements that will remain in place after the pope’s departure.
Marking the 150th anniversary of the Marian apparitions, Leo’s visit will take place 18 years after the last visit by a pontiff — that of Benedict XVI in 2008.
With that visit in mind, the shrine states that “enthusiasm is already palpable here in Lourdes at the prospect of praying with the successor of Peter.”
Sister Martha is making the liturgical vestments that Leo XIV will wear during his visit to the Lourdes Shrine. | Credit: Lourdes Shrine
Various departments are putting forth great effort to ensure the event is unforgettable — from the sewing workshop, where Sister Martha is quietly making the liturgical vestments to be worn by Pope Leo XIV, to the workshops where “the large podium cross is gradually taking shape.” In addition, those responsible for decorating the venue are designing ways to ensure the shrine looks suitably adorned for the occasion.
Leo XIV will land in Paris on Sept. 25 where, after the official reception at the Elysée Palace, he will visit the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) headquarters and hold a meeting with young people. The next day, he will visit the Maison Bakita Center for Accompaniment and Social Integration, which provides support services for migrants, and will hold a meeting with the members of the Provincial Synodal Assembly, the catechumens and the neophytes at the Catholic Institute of Paris.
After celebrating Mass in the Place de la Concorde, he will fly to Lourdes. At the end of his stay at the shrine, he will head to the city of Metz, where he will hold an interreligious meeting at the Robert Schumann Congress Center and celebrate Mass in the cathedral before returning to Rome.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
