Celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes at the Shrine Church of the Holy Innocents in Manhattan

The restored statue of Our Lady

Tuesday evening, Members of the Fratelli della Santa Fede (Brothers of the Holy Faith) gathered at the Shrine Church of the Holy Innocents (128 West 37th St.) in Manhattan to celebrate the Tridentine Low Mass for the Feast of the Apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary Immaculate at Lourdes. Arriving early for the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, we sat in silence contemplating the Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, as well as the tears of Our Lady. Holy Hour concluded with the Praying of the Holy Rosary, Benediction, and Reposition of the Holy Eucharist.

Adoration was soon followed by the parish’s Perpetual Novena to St. Anthony of Padua and St. Ann, which included prayers to both saints and the veneration of the Relic of the True Cross at the altar rail.

Dutifully assisted by several servers, Fr. Peter Stravinskas celebrated the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Afterward, the faithful processed slowly around the darkened church three times with candles, while praying the Rosary and meditating on the Sorrowful Mysteries. Before leaving, we waited on line to visit the church’s recently restored statues of Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Bernadette Soubirous.

As I’m won’t to do, I lit candles by my familial patrons, the Infant of Prague and St. Thérèse of Lisieux, and prayed for the poor and forgotten Souls in Purgatory. Evviva Maria!

~ Giovanni di Napoli, February 12, Feast of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servites

(L) The restored statue of St. Bernadette Soubirous.
(R) Holy Innocents' replica of the grotto at Lourdes, France