The number of pilgrims who visit the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto in Mission will be small this summer.
For years, thousands of pilgrims have gathered in the Fraser Valley Heritage Park for Mass in the open air, followed by a procession up the hill to a Marian grotto to pray the rosary on or near the Feast of the Assumption, Aug. 15. This year, due to restrictions on gatherings over 50 people during to the COVID-19 pandemic, the pilgrimage has been cancelled.
“It is with regret that we will be unable to celebrate this year’s pilgrimage,” organizers said in a statement July 8.
They said the decision was “difficult,” as the annual pilgrimage has been a fixture in the local Catholic calendar for many years. It has been said to attract as many as 4,000 people and is the largest annual event in the Archdiocese of Vancouver.
“This pilgrimage offers us hope, healing, grace, beyond our knowing and links us to the advocacy of Mary year after year,” the statement said.
Organizers are inviting those who would have made the trek Aug. 15 to instead unite spiritually by praying the Rosary in their homes that day.
“Though we physically will be apart, our prayers will be united together with Mary, our Mother and our Most Blessed Advocate.”
The grotto at Heritage Park was built in 1892 and was B.C.’s first Marian shrine. It was destroyed in 1965 but later rebuilt, and the current structure dates to 1997. It is a popular annual summer destination for families and pilgrims looking to build community, touch the statue of Our Lady, and find answers to their prayers. Some parish groups have carried on the tradition of visiting the grotto for over 2o years.
The park is home to several other historically significant sites as well, including the Oblate cemetery and the ruins of a former residential school.
Organizers are considering celebrating Mass with a small number of people at the grotto and streaming it online for anyone to tune in and watch. The latest updates on this can be found on the Pilgrimage to the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes – Mission, BC Facebook page.
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