In Boorsem, Limburg, a part of Maasmechelen, there is a special Lourdes grotto. This grotto was built in 1922 next to the church and this on the initiative of Father Dupas. This outbuilding grotto is not the first Lourdes grotto in Boorsem, because in 1886 a grotto was already placed in the Saint-Joris church. Since the apparitions in the French Lourdes took place in 1858, the interior grotto is one of the first Lourdes grottoes in Belgium. The 1922 grotto is a larger version than the one from 1886.
The Lourdes Grotto is located behind a wall at the cemetery and near the Saint-Joris Church. What makes this Lourdes Grotto special are the commemorative plaques of fallen heroes from the two world wars (1914-1918, 1939-1945), which are attached to the wall. This gives the Lourdes Grotto a greater significance, namely the devotion to Mary with the apparitions to Bernadette and the commemoration of the fallen from the wars of the early and mid-20th centuries.
The Lourdes Grotto has a nave and a transept. The nave holds a stone altar and the transept houses the praying statue of Mary. In front of the grotto against the wall there is a bench and next to the statue of Bernadette there is a place for candles. There are no candles lit in front of the grotto.
In 2022, the 100th anniversary of Lourdes Grotto was celebrated. A commemorative plaque was placed with the text “Donated to parishioners Boorsen 2012”. The donation is a beautiful Bernadette statue with a candle.
The Lourdes grotto gives a well-maintained impression and visiting it is highly recommended.
Address: Sint-Jorisstraat, opposite number 7, near the cemetery and the Sint-Joriskerk in Boorsem.
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