The Latin Patriarchate inaugurated a few days ago a new site for religious pilgrimage to be added to several other sites frequented by tourists from Jordan and abroad. The new shrine, which Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal has visited and which Latin Patriarchal Vicar for Jordan Archbishop Maroun Lahham had earlier inaugurated in the presence of large masses of people, is located in Naour township by the Latin Convent. What is striking is that this shrine does not stand for an event listed in the Holy Bible as is the case with several holy sites in our beloved country. But this shrine takes the name of a universal pilgrimage site, namely “Our Lady of Lourdes”. This shrine is the first of its kind in the Kingdom, as there are several similar shrines in several countries of the world.
Lourdes is a name of a French city located in southwestern France. It became a universal pilgrimage destination in the late 19th century when an apparition of Virgin Mary emerged to a 14-year-old girl named Bernadette Soubirous. For over 160 years, the shrine became the most frequented pilgrimage site in the world as numerous miracles were achieved there and several people were scientifically proven to be healed from illnesses. More than a 100,000 tourists visit the shrine on daily bases from various parts of the world.
With the inauguration of the shrine in Naour, we enter a new era, namely linking touristic sites with similar ones universally so as to have what is known as partnership or rather “twinning” between one city and other.
In this framework, Bishop of Lourdes Nicolas Brouwet sent a message to the Naour parish priest which reads: “We have received, in Lourdes, with great joy the news relevant to the launching of a shrine dedicated to the Lady of Lourdes at the Naour parish in Jordan. We were greatly delighted when we learned that this shrine, dedicated to the Lady of Lourdes, is the first of its kind in dear Jordan. We hope that God will overwhelm you with all the grace we receive at Lourdes.”
Thus, a new destination for religious tourism came into existence where people can go to get spiritually, psychologically and physically healed. Yet, the prime desired healing is to have the dear Orient free itself from the shackles of plagues and sorrows, the most serious of which is extremism, alienation and bigotry. The official hymn sung by thousands of pilgrims is “Salam, Salam, Ave, Ave”. This is the ultimate wish to our dear Orient and this is what we seek through prayers and singing hymns at every holy site.
Congratulations to Jordan, a shrine for Our Lady of Lourdes has been inaugurated in Naour.
