After a two-year hiatus on account of the pandemic, the annual pilgrimage to Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto in Mission almost didn’t happen for a third year.
In addition to two years of COVID cancellations, last summer’s attempt to set fire to the grotto left a lot of maintenance to be done, pilgrimage organizer Ryan Murphy told The B.C. Catholic. Meanwhile the gazebo where the pilgrimage Mass is usually celebrated was also closed due to vandalism.
But on Saturday, Aug. 20, about 2,000 people gathered under the hot Mission sun for Mass and a procession up the hill to the grotto, 35 years after the revival of the longstanding pilgrimage on Aug. 1987.
“This year was difficult to organize,” said Murphy, who attributed the pilgrimage’s success to a group of 12 dedicated individuals from St. Joseph’s in Mission and a large number of volunteers who came out to make the event happen.
Particular care was taken this year to respect the residential history of Fraser Heritage Park where the grotto is located, Murphy said. That’s because the history of the site is complicated. The old foundations of all three iterations of St. Mary’s Residential School can be clearly seen in the park. But the grotto was also a popular pilgrimage site for local First Nations peoples in the early 20th century.
Mid-century that began to change. The original grotto was demolished in the 1960s due to its decaying condition. A small rocky shrine was all that was left.
The grotto was eventually rebuilt and rededicated in 1997 because of increased interest in the site resulting from the pilgrimage’s revival a decade earlier.
Although this year’s turnout was low – about half the usual attendance – organizers cited post-COVID fatigue as the primary culprit. Other people noted the pilgrimage was competing with another nearby archdiocesan event, the enthronement of the Holy Image of Santo Nino de Cebu at St Anthony of Padua Church in Agassiz the same day.
The double scheduling didn’t deter some people. “Agassiz is only 40 minutes away. We are almost there already,” said one pilgrim from Vancouver.
Among those who did attend spirits were high. Families showed up early to pitch tents and go to confession. The Rosary started at 10 a.m. with a St. Joseph’s choir singing.
Mass started at 1 p.m. with members of the Squamish and Sto:lo First Nations leading the entrance procession and a choir from St. Jude’s in Vancouver providing music.
Archdiocesan Vicar General Father Gary Franken was the principal celebrant and was joined by five other priests from the archdiocese.
After Mass, the Squamish and Stó:lo members led the procession up the hill overlooking the Fraser River and past the ruins of St. Mary’s Residential School. A large crowd followed, carrying a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes, which was placed in the grotto for a Rosary and benediction.
