If you ever heard about the Lourdes Sanctuary, you have definitely heard something about the Lourdes water or with pilgrims that go to the baths as a step towards the confession.

Many people want to order the Lourdes water, but usually they overpay

There are many online shops providing the Lourdes Water. In the small bottles or a few drops in the rosaries. All well, but usually you will overpay for it, because they of course add their margin to earn some profit.

So we will explain in this article how you can get the Lourdes water the cheapest way and get it lot more for the price you pay.

Our Lady of Lourdes – What is it all about?

So let’s start at the beginning. First, a recap about the Lourdes Sanctuary?

Several churches and basilicas in Lourdes associated with Marian apparitions receive over 5 million pilgrims a year, making Lourdes the second most visited Christian pilgrimage site in Europe after Rome. We have written about it in our top 15 Catholic shrines in the world.

In Lourdes, in the year 1858 France the Virgin Mary appeared 18 times to Bernadette Soubirous
at the Grotto of Massabielle. During the time of the eighteen apparitions, she received several messages, which we can sum up below:

God is love and he loves us as we are. God comes to tell us that he loves us and he loves us as we are with all our successes but also with all our wounds, our weaknesses and our limitations.

On Thursday 25th February 1858, the Virgin Mary asked Bernadette “Go drink at the spring and wash yourself there.” This invitation is for all of us.

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Regarding the Lourdes water, we must remember some points:

• The water of Lourdes is not the holy Water.
• It’s normal water, they say slightly calcareous, comparable to any other water from similar springs.
• It has no thermal virtue or specific property. An underground pipe drives this water to the baths and the water points of the Grotto.
• The Lourdes water has become popular because of the miracles. At the Lourdes Sanctuary they have records of 50 official miracles which have all apparently been linked to the use of Lourdes water.
• Sometimes it was used as a drinkable medium, sometimes as a bath.

Bernadette, when a nun at Nevers, gave only a few drops of Lourdes water to the sick, and used to say: “It’s faith and prayer which save”. She knew that the Grotto water has no special properties and still less any “magic power” to heal disease.

If you just go and take a bath or swim without the faith, it will just be a pagan ritual and which has nothing to do with strong catholic faith or as we can say: “Jesus, I trust in you!”

The Lourdes water is so famous, that sometimes people think that it’s in the every sanctuary. When we were volunteering in Fatima, many pilgrims asked us where to get the water. But there isn’t any in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima.

The baths in the Lourdes water

On Thursday 25th February 1858, the Virgin Mary asked Bernadette “Go drink at the spring and wash yourself there.” Each year, 350 000 pilgrims do so in the baths of the Sanctuary.

The Lourdes water baths in the Sanctuary

• Everybody that comes to the Lourdes Sanctuary often take the baths as a step towards the confession.
• When you approach to the baths, you are offered to present your petitions, make the sign of the cross and pray freely to Our Lady of Lourdes and Saint Bernadette.
• The baths are composed of 17 bathtubs made of marble and filled with Lourdes water.
• The volunteers help the pilgrims to wash there. The baths are free. You do not have to bring any swimwear: they are provided for privacy.
• But, in Summer, you may have to wait for a longer period of time, due to more interest for the baths.

Location of the Lourdes water baths at the Sanctuary 

How to get the Lourdes water the cheapest way?

Ok, the first option is the most obvious – if you are there at the Lourdes – see recommendations for the hotels near by the Sanctuary, you can get it by yourself or tell a friend to get it.

The Lourdes water is freely available at the Grotto itself or at the fountains close to the candles.

Fill it and take it with you. But be careful if you are returning by plane, don’t put it in the hand language, because you will have to leave it at the airport.

The second option which we recommend and is very useful is to simply order it, not from various online shops, but from the official expedition service from Lourdes – called the Service d’expédition d’eau de Lourdes.

You see, the Lourdes water is free! You only pay for the postage and packing.

There is one rule though. The maximum amount of water that you can order is 2 liters or 67 ounces.
When ordering Lourdes water keep in mind this:

• The Lourdes water is always FREE.
• You must pay for containers, packing, handling and registering, and above all, delivery (by train, by air, or whatever).
• The Lourdes water is sent only AFTER the money is received
• At the Sanctuary, they don’t take orders for Lourdes water by phone, telegram or fax.

Procedure

Whom do you apply to?

Send an email or post with the desired amount of Lourdes water to:

Sanctuaires Notre-Dame de Lourdes
“service expédition d’eau”
1 Avenue MGR Théas
65108 LOURDES CEDEX
FRANCE
Tel: 33 (0)5 62 42 78 78 poste (63 22)

or by E-mail: Bureau.dons(at)lourdes-france.com – with this email you will get the direct service, if you use the mail that is on the official page of the Lourdes Sanctuary it will take some time for them to reply.

Include your name, address and the amount of water you wish to order. Do not forget the maximum amount is 2 litres or 67 ounces.

Important! – After your application, they will send you an email reply with the cost and the bank account where you can pay for the postage of the Lourdes water. So after you pay for the Lourdes water, send them the payment confirmation and do not forget to give your complete address in block capital letters.

For payment, you can use:

• Your own cheque (dollars or pounds)
• Traveler cheque
• Eurocheque (Britain – Ireland)
• International Money Order (negotiable all over the world).

You will need to recalculate your country’s currency corresponding to EUROS, according to the rate of exchange at that moment. As in the Sanctuary they operate only with EUROS.

Order prices for Lourdes water for all over the world:

Europe

Colis Postal Europe Prioritaire

If it happens that your order will be somewhat delayed, just remember that they are sometimes faced with a great number of requests.

So here you have it, simple and the cheapest way to get your Lourdes water.

To compare it with some online prices. We found that some online providers sell Lourdes water from 100 dollars onward for one (1) litre. Here you can get 2 litres for 50 € or even half the price if you are from Europe.

So you see a big margin they put to their service. And why not rather support Sanctuary of Lourdes who promotes this beautiful messages of Our Lady.

We hope we helped anyone who is looking for the info on how to get this beautiful token of faith the one of the most stunning sanctuaries in the world – Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes.

Let us remain close in the same prayer!
May the Lord bless you abundantly!