The Healing Waters of Lourdes
The spring water of Lourdes, revealed by Our Lady to Bernadette in 1858, has been at the center of countless testimonies of healing and spiritual renewal. While the water itself has no unusual chemical properties, the faith and prayer of pilgrims who use it have been associated with remarkable cures that defy medical explanation.
The Spring
During the ninth apparition on February 25, 1858, Our Lady told Bernadette to go and drink at the spring and wash in it. There was no visible spring at the time. Bernadette scratched at the muddy ground inside the Grotto, and a trickle of water began to emerge. By the next day, the trickle had become a steady flow.
Scientific analysis of the water has consistently shown that it is ordinary spring water — clean and potable, but with no special mineral or chemical composition that would explain the healings attributed to it. The Church has never claimed the water itself possesses healing power. Rather, the healings are understood as acts of God's grace, granted through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The spring continues to flow at a rate of approximately 32,000 gallons (120,000 liters) per week. The water is piped to fountains along the sanctuary grounds where pilgrims can drink it freely and fill containers to bring home.
The Lourdes Medical Bureau
Established in 1882, the Lourdes Medical Bureau (Bureau des Constatations Médicales) is an independent medical office that investigates reported cures at Lourdes. Any doctor, regardless of faith or nationality, may participate in the examination of cases.
The investigation process is deliberately rigorous. A reported cure must meet strict criteria: the original illness must be precisely diagnosed, the cure must be sudden and complete, it must be lasting (verified over years of follow-up), and it must have no medical explanation. After the Medical Bureau confirms a case, it is referred to the International Medical Committee of Lourdes (CMIL), composed of specialists from around the world.
Only after the medical committees have confirmed the inexplicable nature of a cure does the bishop of the healed person's home diocese have the authority to declare it a miracle. To date, the Church has officially recognized 70 miraculous cures at Lourdes, though thousands of other reported healings remain on file.
How to Obtain Lourdes Water
Lourdes water is freely available to all pilgrims at the sanctuary. There are taps (fontaines) along the sanctuary grounds where visitors can drink the water and fill bottles or containers to take home. The water is not for sale — it is a gift, freely given.
Using Lourdes Water in Devotion
Lourdes water is a sacramental — a sacred sign that prepares us to receive grace and disposes us to cooperate with it. It is used in the same spirit as holy water: with faith, prayer, and trust in God's providence.
Common devotional uses include blessing oneself with it, placing a small amount on a sick person while praying for healing, and keeping it in the home as a reminder of Our Lady's care. The key is not the water itself but the faith and prayer that accompany its use.