5 Lourdes Candles for Light Procession

5 Lourdes Candles for Light Procession

• Box of 5 Lourdes candles made from mineral wax.
• 35 cm (13.78 inches) in height.
• Approximate weight of 130 g.
• White and Marian light blue color.
• 2.5 cm (0.98 inches) in diameter at the base.
• Original candle made by the French company Ciergerie de Lourdes in Lourdes.

Ciergerie de Lourdes

The Ciergerie de Lourdes is a French company with a long tradition in Lourdes.

Ciergerie is a French word formed from the word "cierge," a wax candle generally used in Catholic ceremonies, and the suffix "-erie," a place where something is made or sold. Thus, a ciergerie can be defined as a physical space, shop, or warehouse where candles and other Catholic items made from wax, such as Paschal candles, Easter candles, votive candles, etc., are manufactured or sold.

Ciergerie could be translated as "candle shop," so Ciergerie de Lourdes could be translated as the Lourdes Candle Shop.

Lourdes Candles

Candles are a fundamental element in the symbolism of the Catholic Church. The use of candles in religious celebrations dates back to the early Christians. The light, the flame of the candles, has always been associated with the divine presence, Christ, and the Virgin Mary.

The Marian devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes is deeply linked to the light of the candles lit for three events that took place during the apparitions of Saint Mary.

• The Rosary and the Lit Candle

Saint Bernadette Soubirous visited the cave of Lourdes many times. At first, in her humble condition, she could not understand the miraculous apparitions she was witnessing. She could only describe the image she saw as "aquerò" (a word that means "that" in Bigourdan, a dialect spoken in the Lourdes area).

Although she did not know how to explain what she was experiencing, she sensed deep within that the luminous presence she saw was related to the Virgin Mary. For this reason, from the first apparition, she used her rosary and prayed with deep faith before the presence of the beautiful Lady who appeared to her.

In later encounters, the girl would come to her meeting with Saint Mary carrying the rosary and a candle. When the Virgin saw the objects Bernadette was holding, she smiled at her kindly as a sign of approval.

• Candles for the Faithful Who Went to the Lourdes Cave

The Virgin gave the girl several messages and gifts. Among these gifts, she also made several requests. One of them was that she should ask the believers to carry a lit candle as a symbol of their love for the Virgin.

Bernadette conveyed this to all those who wanted to listen to her. The number of people who came to the cave increased exponentially as the news spread throughout the region. Most visitors tried to fulfill Saint Mary's request and carried a candle or lit candle.

• The Miracle of the Candle

The apparitions of Our Lady in Lourdes are filled with moments of great significance. The popularly known Miracle of the Candle or the Miracle of the Paschal Candle is one of them.

According to tradition, which speaks of the Marian apparitions in Lourdes, on April 7, 1858, Saint Bernadette was praying with a candle, as she had done on previous occasions. In the middle of the prayer, the girl fell into a trance. Without realizing it, she brought the candle flame close to her hand. The flame was in contact with her skin for a long time without causing any harm, confirmed by Dr. Douzous, a doctor from Lourdes who was in the grotto then.

The Lourdes Torchlight Procession

The Lourdes Torchlight Procession, also known as the Lourdes Candle Procession, is a religious procession that takes place every night at the Lourdes sanctuary.

The Virgin Mary asked Saint Bernadette that the faithful come to visit her at the cave. The candlelight procession is how this tradition continues, started by the locals and devotees who accompanied the young visionary in those early days of the apparitions.

Some pilgrims recite the Hail Mary or other prayers to the Virgin of Lourdes during the procession. Others walk in silence, while some perform acts of penance, such as walking on their knees or barefoot.

Lighting a candle at the Lourdes Sanctuary or in the torchlight procession is a way to accept and fulfill the wishes left by Saint Mary through Bernadette.