The 66th international pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes. Like every year in early May, the streets of the French town were flooded with the Order of Malta’s pilgrims’ uniforms.
This year, some 7,000 Order of Malta members and volunteers took part in this traditional event to accompany Our Lords the Sick to the Grotto of Massabielle. They came from 46 different countries, from the Far East- in particular Hong Kong, the Philippines, New Zealand and Australia- to South America, from Iraq to Africa, like Kenya, as well as Ukraine, from all European countries, including the Baltic and Scandinavian countries. The largest groups were from France (1,300), Italy (1,300) and the USA (1,100). Of the almost 7,000 participants, 1,200 were malades, of whom 750 were young people between the ages of 8 and 35; 230 priests, 12 deacons, 881 pilgrims, 231 doctors, 152 nurses.
