“Spiritually, I’m Always in Lourdes”

Abstract

Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted with pilgrims on pilgrimages from England to the Marian shrine of Lourdes, this article focuses on the experience of serial pilgrims, those who have made the journey to Lourdes repeatedly for several years. Since the first organized pilgrimage from England to Lourdes in 1883, the Marian apparition site has been the premier destination for English Catholic pilgrims, with several diocesan pilgrimages, religious travel companies, and charitable organizations facilitating the journey each year. I argue that for many serial pilgrims, Lourdes constitutes a “home away from home,” a place that has become intimately familiar, safe, and sacred over several pilgrimages. For young pilgrims particularly, those “raised in Lourdes,” it is a formative site that is integral to their religious identity and sense of belonging. By exploring the rich narratives of serial pilgrims, I highlight the fluid boundaries between perceptions of home and destination within the context of contemporary pilgrimage.