Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
James Martin, S.J.May 04, 2009

One of my favorite things about the Internet are wild things like this.   May of course is Mary's month, and my friends at  Order of Malta (more specifically, representatives from the Order of Malta worldwide) are in Lourdes this week for their annual pilgrimage, when they take along les malades, the sick, for spiritual and physical healing at the famous French shrine in the Pyrenees.  Anyway, here's a webcam of the Grotto, believe it or not.  So if you've never been and wonder what it's like, or have been and wish you could back, here's your answer.  This afternoon, if you listen carefully, you can hear birds singing, feet squeaking on the tiled floor by the Grotto, and canes and wheelchairs bumping along.  On the same site, there's also a webcame of the Rosary procession at night: Ave, Ave, Ave Maria...

James Martin, SJ

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.

The latest from america

History's first American pope reaffirmed Wednesday that the primary role of bishops is to forge unity in his diocese among clergy and to be close to his flock in word and deed.
“Dear friends, a Bishop is a witness to hope by his example of a life firmly grounded in God and completely devoted to the service of the Church. This will be the case only insofar as he is conformed to Christ in his personal life and in his apostolic ministry.”
Pope Leo XIVJune 25, 2025
Aware of the deep concern this new act of violence has caused among Christians in this part of the world, Pope Leo offered these words of assurance: “I say to the Christians of the Middle East: I am close to you! The whole church is close to you!”
Gerard O’ConnellJune 25, 2025
This week on “The Spiritual Life,” Father James Martin speaks with former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg about faith, fatherhood and his “Jesuit background.”
James Martin, S.J.June 24, 2025