Order of Malta

In the world-famous Marian pilgrimage site of Lourdes at the foot of the Pyrenees, the Mother of God appeared to a 14-year-old peasant girl, Bernadette Soubirous, in a grotto. The first apparition took place in the winter of 1858. A total of 18 apparitions took place between 11 February and 16 July 1858 at the grotto of Massabielle in Lourdes. They were to shape the history of Christianity. The Virgin Mary instructed Bernadette to dig in the rocky ground near the grotto. Bernadette discovered a spring whose healing properties have been proven. Since then, numerous miraculous healings have taken place in Lourdes. Every year, thousands of people make a pilgrimage there to pray at the grotto.

Some of the national associations of the Order of Malta had already organised pilgrimages to Lourdes before 1958. On the occasion of the centenary of the apparitions in 1958, the Order of Malta organised an international pilgrimage. Since then, the Order has organised an international pilgrimage to Lourdes every year at the beginning of May, led by the Grand Master. Members and volunteers of the Order from 45 countries on all six continents take part, bringing thousands of sick and wheelchair-bound pilgrims with them. The Helvetic Association has been participating in the Order of Malta’s international pilgrimage to Lourdes since 1981.

This year, the Order of Malta’s 67th international pilgrimage to Lourdes took place from 2 to 6 May. Over 7,000 participants, including 1,200 sick and disabled people, made the journey. We were represented by 323 participants from Switzerland, including 53 sick and disabled people. As we are in the Holy Year 2025, the theme of this pilgrimage was ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. We were able to experience wonderful moments of spirituality and community, which enabled us to rediscover God’s mercy and love in a world so often marked by suffering and division.