Making the “Water Gesture”:

• Members of the Hospitality welcome pilgrims to the Baths where they offer spiritual support to those wanting to make the “Water Gesture”, which can be done alone, in a group, as a couple, with family, with friends… in the Church.

(Baths now remain open only in exceptional circumstances. Individual requests for access should be addressed to the rector of the Sanctuary.)

You can choose to drink and wash your face with the water from the Spring, which flows from the eighteen Drinking Fountains located next to the Grotto. The number eighteen symbolises the number of apparitions.

Fill containers with water from the Spring

• The taps located next to the arches have sufficient flow for you to be able to fill containers to take back for yourself or your loved ones.

On 25^th February 1858, during the ninth apparition, everything changed. Everything changed when Bernadette heard the Lady say, “Go and drink at the spring and wash yourself there…” And since that day, millions of pilgrims and visitors have come to Lourdes to drink and wash in this water, which has no therapeutic properties or specific properties. Bernadette Soubirous herself said, “We take the water like medicine… We must have faith, we must pray: this water will have no virtue without faith!” The popularity of Lourdes water is born of miracles, but it is not holy water: water from the Spring can only become holy through the action of a priest.

Many pilgrims are keen to take some back home, for themselves or for their loved ones. Lourdes water is free and free to access from the Sanctuary’s taps and Drinking Fountains. It cannot be sold.

If you would like to receive some water, the Sanctuary of Lourdes invites you to contact the pilgrimage organisation closest to you.