Lourdes - City of miracles

In 1858, when Bernadette Soubirous allegedly saw what many believe to have been the Virgin Mary, Lourdes was nothing but a village of little interest to anyone in a remote corner of the French Pyrénées mountains.

In 1858, when Bernadette Soubirous allegedly saw what many believe to have been the Virgin Mary, Lourdes was nothing but a village of little interest to anyone in a remote corner of the French Pyrénées mountains.

Since then, Lourdes has become the center of economic growth of the entire region. With more than 250 hotels in a city of 15.000 inhabitants, only Paris can accommodate more visitors on a nightly basis.

Today, Lourdes is a town where mass tourism co-exists with a church that has seen better times and is fighting for its financial survival. Pierre Abadias, Head of Fundraising at the Grotto says that the church is directly dependent on the number of pilgrims: "The church makes no money, but survives on people's generosity. The fewer pilgrims, the less money, it's as simple as that, "he says with reference to last years deficit, which he blames on the global financial crisis.

But the international press and the rank and file catholics see it differently. They claim that the crisis is self-inflicted - and that it has nothing to do with money. They say that the problems of the church have to be seen in direct relation to the church's handling of decades of abuse of children and young people.

Those who believe that Bernadette saw the Virgin Mary while she was collecting animal bones by the river banks more than 150 years ago, come to Lourdes to find peace and pray for a cure to the illnesses of their loved ones. Others simply despise the Grotto of Lourdes and the religious tourism that it attracts. But few remain indifferent to it.

Eric Saint-Germier, 52 years old, who died of cancer in October 2012, lived in Lourdes. By his own perspective, in august of 2012, he only had a few months to live. He knew he was going to die. "I respect people's faith," he said. "But I cannot stand the commercial aspect of the town."

During that same month, the church proclaimed the 68th miracle to have taken place at the Grotto. The next day, Eric Saint-Germier died of cancer.