Did you know the Vatican Gardens have their own Lourdes Grotto?

Tucked away within the gardens is a faithful replica of the grotto at Lourdes, standing there since 1905. It was first suggested as a gift to Pope Leo XIII in 1902, designed by architect Costantino Sneider, and later inaugurated by St Pius X on 28 March 1905, a little echo of Lourdes in the heart of the Vatican.

It was here, on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and the World Day of the Sick, that Pope Leo XIV met with a group of sick pilgrims. In that quiet and prayerful setting, he reminded them that Our Lady shows us how to understand suffering through love and how love transforms even our heaviest crosses.