Jozo Furundžija - Pougarski svetac https://youtu.be/gsi7SCwHmXw?si=7znTB3jXGJWZjAxQ
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HAIL HOLY QUEEN (SALVE REGINA)
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,
our life, our sweetness, and our hope.
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve.
To thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious Advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us,
and after this our exile,
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving,
O sweet Virgin Mary.
V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
O God, whose Only Begotten Son, by His life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life; grant, we beseech Thee, that by meditating upon these mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord.
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Pope Leo XIV will prioritize the sick during Lourdes visit
Father Michel Daubanes, rector of the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, shares insights into how the Marian shrine is preparing for the upcoming papal trip.
By Cyriac Zeller
Pope Leo XIV will travel to France from Sept. 25 to 28, 2026. The visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes will serve as the second leg of his journey, following Paris. Father Michel Daubanes, who has served as rector of the Lourdes shrine since 2022, spoke with I.Media news agency reporter Cyriac Zeller ahead of the Holy Father’s arrival.
Only two pontiffs—St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI—have previously visited this Marian city. Father Daubanes discussed the logistical preparations and the broader significance of this historic papal visit.
Cyriac Zeller: Pope Leo XIV will travel to Lourdes during his trip to France, spending the entire day on September 27 at the shrine. Has he ever visited before?
Father Michel Daubanes: At the end of June 2025, during the feast of the Sacred Heart, the Holy Father welcomed Bishop Jean-Marc Micas of Tarbes-Lourdes and me in a private audience. We asked him that exact question. He told us he had visited the Marian city twice: first when he was 19 years old, and again 10 years later.
How did discussions with the Vatican unfold after Bishop Micas issued the invitation? Was the pope immediately enthusiastic about the idea?
Father Daubanes: The pope was very interested in the prospect of coming to Lourdes. His Marian piety was clear from the very evening following his election, when he referenced Our Lady of Pompeii. As soon as I heard those words, I knew we would welcome him before too long. That intuition certainly proved to be true!
Planning a balanced itinerary
How will the day in Lourdes be structured?
Father Daubanes: The final schedule hasn’t been established or approved yet. The shrine and the French Bishops’ Conference have submitted proposals. The Roman team helping us prepare the trip has also provided some major guidelines. We’re currently combining these elements to finalize the itinerary soon.
Although the visit is relatively brief, Pope Leo XIV will spend a full day at the shrine. We’ll be careful not to pack the schedule too tightly, leaving room for personal encounters. Obviously, we don’t want to exhaust the Holy Father!
Aside from the major Mass already announced for the meadow opposite the grotto, what are the essential elements of a papal visit to Lourdes?
Father Daubanes: No one in the shrine or the city of Lourdes could imagine a pope coming here without visiting the grotto, just as no pilgrim would visit the shrine without doing the same. Naturally, the Eucharistic celebration will be the heart of the day.
Putting the vulnerable first
In Lourdes, the sick and the most vulnerable are traditionally given first priority. How will this be reflected during Pope Leo XIV’s visit?
Father Daubanes: Weakness holds a very important place in Lourdes. It’s a place free from shame or indignity. That’s why I can answer without hesitation: Weakness will take first place. We must ensure there’s space for all the forms of infirmity that gather in Lourdes, which reflect the deeper vulnerabilities of our society.
There are many communities here that help those most in need. I’m thinking of the Cenacolo community, which helps young people—and older adults—struggling with various addictions find a path toward human and spiritual reconstruction. There’s also the Aygues-Vives community, which supports people with psychiatric frailties. Finally, the Cité Saint-Pierre offers marginalized people the chance to experience a time of rest and pilgrimage in Lourdes.
They all embody something of the spirit of Lourdes. My goal is to gather a bouquet of all these fruits so our pope can contemplate them and take in their magnificent fragrance.
Speaking to a suffering society
The pope’s arrival will occur just as the end-of-life bill will likely have been passed. Will this topic resonate particularly strongly in Lourdes?
Father Daubanes: Given how prominently this subject features in people’s minds, in public discourse, and sometimes in the actions of the bishops, it would be highly surprising if it wasn’t mentioned at some point during the visit.
Many people come to Lourdes hoping to die here. For some, this actually happens: After praying at the grotto, they feel they have reached the end of their earthly journey and pass away here. Is there anything more beautiful than being accompanied with love and care right to the very end? There’s no testimony more eloquent than that! We truly have something to say to our society about this issue.
Facing the wounds of abuse
Lourdes is also a symbol in the fight against abuse. In 2021, the French bishops gathered there to recognize the institutional responsibility and systemic nature of sexual abuse in the Church. A meeting with abuse survivors is expected to take place during Pope Leo XIV’s trip. Can you confirm that this will happen in Lourdes?
Father Daubanes: That idea, along with several others, is currently under discussion. The topic is absolutely essential. However, I cannot share more details right now about how it will take shape.
The facade of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary is covered with mosaics by Father Marko Rupnik, who is currently facing a canonical trial for repeated sexual abuse. Only a portion of these works has been covered up. Will any special measures be taken for the pope’s visit?
Father Daubanes: We’re currently reflecting on this. A few days ago, thanks to the initiative of Sister Samuelle—herself a survivor of Father Rupnik’s abuse—and filmmaker Quentin Delcourt, we hosted a presentation for the artwork “Rebirth.” This is a mosaic made of 200 tesserae, each bearing the written words of abuse survivors on the back. These fragments will be displayed in various locations, and the shrine will permanently keep tesserae numbers 1 and 200.Philip Kosloski - published on 07/30/17 - updated on 07/10/26
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Another word for these candles is a "votive" candle and comes from the Latin votum, meaning promise, dedication or simply "prayer."
Almost nothing says "Catholic" like votive candles, especially if they are placed before images or statues in a church setting. When a film or television show wants the audience to know a character is Catholic, a confessional or a rack of votive candles is sure to turn up.
Confession, of course is a sacrament, but what about those candles? Are they a superstitious practice?
Actually, just the opposite.
Symbolism of Candles
“I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).
At our Easter Vigil, when the deacon or priest enters the darkened church with the single Easter candle, he intones, "Christ, our Light." To which the congregation replies, "Thanks be to God." This recalls how Jesus came into our world of sin and death to bring the light of God to us.
Besides being used to illuminate the places where the early Christians celebrated Mass, candles were also lighted at the tombs of martyrs. Father William Saunders explains that "there is evidence that lit candles or oil lamps were burned at the tombs of saints, particularly martyrs, by the 200s, and before sacred images and relics by the 300s."
In this context the "light signifies our prayer offered in faith coming into the light of God. With the light of faith, we petition our Lord in prayer, or petition the saint to pray with us and for us to the Lord." The word "vigil" comes from the Latin vigilia and refers to keeping watch.
The vigil candle that is lit remains so for a period of time (either a certain number of hours or a few days) and symbolizes how the person desires "to remain present to the Lord in prayer even though we may depart and go about our daily business." It also reminds the individual how the saint is constantly praying for their petitions.
"Votive" means "Prayer"
Another word for these candles is a "votive" candle and comes from the Latin votum, meaning promise, dedication or simply "prayer." It reinforces the idea that the candles represent our prayers before God.
As humans, we are body and soul and our prayers often need to be expressed in a physical, tangible way. This helps our soul be at rest and is a way to deepen our spirituality. Similar to incense, the light of the candles is a physical reminder that points our souls to God. We light them not because we believe our prayers will be better heard by God, but because we need something visual to connect our body and soul.
Lighting a votive candle isn't something "required" if you are Catholic, but it is certainly a devotion that can be beneficial to some.
Read more:
Holy smoke! Why the Church uses incense at Mass
How monasteries introduced beeswax candles in the Middle Ages
Read also :
How monasteries introduced beeswax candles in the Middle Ages
Did you enjoy this artic Spirituality
Here’s what St. Benedict did to stop a sexual temptation
SAINT BENEDICT
Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P. | Flickr CC by NC ND 2.0
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Philip Kosloski - published on 07/11/26
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St. Benedict was tempted by lustful thoughts when he ventured off in the wilderness, hoping that he could dedicate his life to God.
In today's world, both men and women are being tempted nearly every day to commit some sort of sexual sin. Smart phones make it very easy to access images or videos of a person's wildest sexual fantasy, leading to an addiction that is extremely difficult to quit.
While these difficulties may seem like a modern phenomena, the truth is that even many of the saints struggled with such temptations.
Often the main difference between us and the saints is that the saints would take any measure necessary to stop a temptation before it went too far.
St. Benedict and the woman
Early on in St. Benedict's life, probably when he was around 18 or 19 years old, he left his comfortable home and went in search of solitude.
Initially he lived in a cave, and while that may seem like the perfect place to avoid temptation, the devil used his isolation to provoke his imagination.
Here is how St. Gregory the Great describes it in his biography of St. Benedict:
A certain woman there was which some time he had seen, the memory of which the wicked spirit put into his mind, and by the representation of her did so mightily inflame with concupiscence the soul of God's servant, which did so increase that, almost overcome with pleasure, he was of mind to have forsaken the wilderness.
He was ready to give up and go back to the world, thinking that his plan to live in the wilderness was foiled.
Yet, he came to his senses and did something very drastic to get his mind off the woman:
But, suddenly assisted with God's grace, he came to himself; and seeing many thick briers and nettle bushes to grow hard by, off he cast his apparel, and threw himself into the midst of them, and there wallowed so long that, when he rose up, all his flesh was pitifully torn: and so by the wounds of his body, he cured the wounds of his soul, in that he turned pleasure into pain, and by the outward burning of extreme smart, quenched that fire which, being nourished before with the fuel of carnal cogitations, did inwardly burn in his soul: and by this means he overcame the sin, because he made a change of the fire.
Inflicting physical pain upon ourselves may not be the first thing we would think of to stop a sexual temptation, but in St. Benedict's mind, he needed to do something extreme.
The lesson we can learn from this story is that sometimes we need to do something big to cut ourselves off from a frequent temptation that continues to hinder our progress in the spiritual life.
That could even mean getting rid of our phone or laptop for the sake of saving our soul.
Whatever it may be, take your temptation to God and ask him for help to know what you need to do to divorce yourself from a sexual temptation.
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