The Closing Ceremonies

There are all kinds of closing ceremonies.  We recently witnessed another closing ceremony to the Summer Olympics in Rio, Brazil.  There are closing ceremonies for galas, special events, conferences, and yes, even debates and elections. A closing ceremony not only marks an end but also the beginning. For the Summer Olympics not only did it mark the end, it highlighted the beginning of the next Summer Olympics in 4 years in Japan.  


For the Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity and the Catholic Community, the closing ceremony marks the end of the Jubilee Year of Mercy.  On October 30, 2016, the Ceremony Closing the Holy Doors for the Jubilee Year of Mercy will occur at the 9:30am Mass in the Grotto.

If you have not had a chance to walk through the Holy Doors, there is one more month to do so at Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine during the Jubilee Year of Mercy. After fulfilling the obligations for the Indulgence and walking through the Holy Doors, it will begin a walk of faith for you. For more information about the Holy Doors, go here.  

Don't miss out on this wonderful opportunity!

9th and 10th Apparitions

The 9th Apparition is perhaps the most famous because at this apparition, we were all given a remedy for our infirmities: the water.

It was nearly dawn when Bernadette was called to the Grotto and there were many people present. All these people could see was Bernadette looking under the rocks, going to the River Gave, and finally drinking the dirty, muddy water found under a rock at the Grotto and eating the weeds.  To those that observed this, Bernadette had lost her head.  To those without faith, she was a live comedy show, maybe what we today would call a reality show.  It wasn't until the next two Apparitions that things would become a little clearer.

People did not notice, as they laughed and doubted, Bernadette's behavior, the water was becoming clearer and flowing stronger.  The following day was the 10th Apparition.


At the 10th Apparition, we see Bernadette drink and wash a bit in the water.  We also see her on her knees kissing the ground and going up to the Grotto on her knees.  Bernadette tells us that the "beautiful lady" asked her to make this sacrifice for the sinners in the world.

Something very special is happening at Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine in Euclid as well.
In this Year of Mercy, Bishop Lennon has asked us to be one of the sites of the Holy Door in the Cleveland Diocese.  The other site is St. John's Cathedral.

Once again, Mary's Shrine becomes a site of great mercy and forgiveness.  For anyone who walks through the Holy Door, says an Our Father and Hail Mary for the intentions of the Holy Father, and goes to Mass and Confession a week before or a week after walking through the Holy Door, will receive a spiritual plenary indulgence.  This means that any time to be spent in Purgatory is lessened either for you, for a deceased person, a person you are praying for, or the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

Talk to your Parishes about making a Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine!  Experience the outpouring of Mercy!

Opening of the Holy Door

Sunday, April 3rd - 10:00am - Opening of the Holy Doors

The Ceremony begins under the pavilion and continues with a procession to the front Doors of the Chapel, followed by Mass, celebrated by Bishop Richard Lennon.

Attendance is by ticket only, unfortunately all tickets have been distributed.  If you were unable to get a ticket, please visit the Shrine in the afternoon!





Receive an indulgence by making a Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine:

• Walk through the Holy Door
• Say an Our Father and Hail Mary for the intention of the Holy Father
• Go to Mass and Communion
• Go to Confession (a week before or a week after making the Pilgrimage)

Fulfill all of these holy practices and receive the Mercy of God: an indulgence for yourself, someone deceased, someone you are praying for, or those Holy Souls in Purgatory.

A plenary indulgence is the remission before God of the temporal punishment due to be suffered for sins that have already been forgiven.  

Shrine Masses:

Weekdays:  7:00am - Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday

                    5:00pm - Tuesday (Holy Hour 3:30-4:30pm)

Saturday:     8:00am

Sunday:        April - October
                     8:00am - in the Chapel
                     9:30am - (April - in the Chapel);  (May - October, weather permitting, in the Grotto)


Shrine Confessions:
Every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the Month (April - October)  5:30pm - 7:00pm

Holy Door Pilgrimage

Our Lady of Lourdes has been designated by Bishop Lennon to be a site of pilgrimage that has the Official Holy Door!

Bishop Lennon opens the Holy Door.  The rituals of opening Holy Doors for holy years date as far back as 1499 when a wooden door was opened by Pope Alexander VI on Christmas Eve, beginning the Holy Year 1500.  Most recently the new millennium was celebrated as a Jubilee Year in 2000.  http://www.dioceseofcleveland.org/holydooropening/

As you know, this is a year of jubilee and a Year of Mercy for the Church. The Holy Door is a means of reconciling with the Lord.  An indulgence is spiritually bestowed upon the person who walks through the door and fulfills other obligations. See more information about these indulgences here. 



Bishop Lennon will be at the Shrine on Sunday, April 3, 2016 (Mercy Sunday) for a 10:00am Mass at which, he will officially open the Holy Door at the Shrine.  Our Chapel can only hold a limited amount of people for the Mass and admission is by ticket only, however all tickets have been granted. 


Everyone is welcome to come on Sunday, April 3rd in the afternoon or at anytime during this Year of Mercy, visit the Shrine, and walk through the Holy Door.