Our Lady of Lourdes Jubilee

 To kick off the “Pilgrims of Hope” Jubilee year, Head Administrator Sister Phyllis Ann and other Sisters from Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine travelled to Rome in January for an audience with Pope Francis.

 “Jubilee years only come around about every 25 years. It’s a transformative journey to a sacred place reminding us that we are all pilgrims on a journey that begins and ends with God,” she says.

What’s known as the Jubilee Plenary Indulgence removes temporal punishment due to sin. 

To gain an indulgence, Catholics should visit St. John’s Cathedral or one of seven churches or three shrines in the diocese. In addition to Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine, you can also visit St. Edward, Ashland; St. Mary, Chardon; Immaculate Conception, Madison; Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Lorain; St. Colette, Brunswick; Queen of Heaven, Uniontown; and SS. Peter and Paul, Doylestown; Queen of the Holy Rosary Shrine in Parma Heights and the Shrine of St. Ann in Highland Heights.

She explains you should participate in confession, receive Holy Communion, pray an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be. You can apply the indulgence to yourself or offer it up to someone in purgatory.

“We’ve already seen hundreds of visitors through our doors take part in the Jubilee,” she says. “We give people a passport they can have stamped here and at other sites.”

Within the chapel’s sanctuary, a large sign sports the Jubilee’s logo, which features four stylized figures representing humanity coming from all four corners of the earth and embracing one another. 

“I love its symbolic message,” she says. “At the front a figure holds a cross as a sign of faith and hope, and an anchor at the bottom signifies we are all grounded in God’s mercy.”

Gearing up for Easter, Summer

The Shrine is holding Easter Mass on Sunday, April 20, at 8 a.m.

The summer season of the Shrine opens on Sunday, May 4, and outdoor masses will be every Sunday through the end of October at 9:30 a.m., weather permitting.

“This time of year, our gift shop is stocked with gifts for those making their first communion, confirmations, baptisms, weddings and graduations,” says Sister Phyllis Ann. “Top sellers are rosaries, books, holy cards, Bibles, medals, candles, artwork, outdoor garden statues, clothing, home décor and beautiful crafts that we hand-make. And water that flows over the relic in the Grotto, from the original Shrine in Lourdes, France, is available for purchase by the bottle. We also have special items to celebrate the Jubilee year that we bought to bring back when we were in Italy.”

The Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity and National Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes is located at 21281 Chardon Road in Euclid. Learn more about the Pilgrims of Hope Jubilee at DioceseofCleveland.org/JubileeCLE. The Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity is a 501(c)(3) charity and all the funds donated go directly to the charity. You can donate online. Call 216-481-0900 or visit SRSTrinity.com for more information.