Dear Friends of Lourdes, dear benefactors,
What a joy it has been to see so many ‘pilgrims of hope’ passing through the gates of the Sanctuary in recent months! On 15th August, the celebrations were wonderful, and you may have seen on television the thousands of young people who came to serve the sick and bear witness to their faith. This joy did not come to an end on that day: it is still going strong! Yes, Lourdes is still a living, international site where hearts turn to the Virgin Mary and her Son Jesus. The Jubilee buzz will carry on until the Epiphany, and I hope pilgrims will keep coming to the Grotto of Massabielle every day.
The Sanctuary makes every effort to welcome everyone as warmly as possible. In recent years, and particularly in recent months, we have invested in the maintenance and improvement of our facilities: the Youth Village, the Grotto and Baths, the Crypt, the Basilica of Saint Pius X, the Chapel of Saint Paul VI, and the Historical Resource Centre, which preserves and promotes our Christian heritage.
Thanks to your donations, Lourdes continues to be a place where prayer, service, and hospitality come together to serve everyone.
But we still have a lot to do.
Let me give you some concrete examples of the work involved: the necessary renovation of the sacristies of the Rosary Basilica, the completion of the exterior access to the new Saint Paul VI Chapel, the upgrading of the floors in the Accueil Notre-Dame, and the replacement of the sound system on the Prairie and the inevitable continuation of the refurbishment of the toilet blocks. And I’m not even going to mention the leaks in our roofs…
These expenses are not luxuries. They affect our ability to welcome every pilgrim who comes to the Sanctuary with dignity and to bring the Message of Lourdes to life at the heart of the Church.
That is why I am appealing to you once again today, because Lourdes needs your support. Your generosity is the only way to continue the mission entrusted to Bernadette by the Virgin Mary herself. Every donation, no matter how small, is a gesture of hope that enables the Sanctuary to continue its mission.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your loyalty and for your prayers. May the Virgin Mary keep you in her tenderness and fill you with her grace.
Rigour and reliability
The generosity of donors provides massive support for the Sanctuary’s ongoing drive to improve its facilities and services, so that every pilgrim can be welcomed as warmly as possible. Thanks to careful management, a budget is allocated each year for renovations and essential works. All these investments are based on a clear goal: to make sure pilgrims feel welcome, safe, and at home, and to spread the Message of Lourdes. The Sanctuary is also working to cut down on operating costs by always looking for ways to improve, especially when it comes to energy.
Investments that still need to be financed
By 2025, many projects will have been completed. Others, equally necessary, will still have to wait. We are confident that we will be able to carry them out in the near future thanks to the loyal support of our donors. The plan shown here gives an overview of the work that has been done and that which is still to come in the various areas of the ‘domaine’.
* Rehaussement de la réduction d’impôt pour les dons effectués au profit des associations cultuelles entre le 2 juin 2021 et le 31 décembre 2022 : vote définitif de la mesure dans la loi de finance rectificative n° 2021-953 du 19 juillet 2021. L’article 18 prévoit que le taux de la réduction d’impôt prévue au 1 de l’article 200 du code général des impôts est porté à 75 % pour les dons et versements, y compris l’abandon exprès de revenus ou produits, effectués entre le 2 juin 2021 et le 31 décembre 2022, au profit d’associations cultuelles ou d’établissements publics des cultes reconnus d’Alsace-Moselle. Les versements réalisés en 2021 sont retenus dans la limite de 554 euros. Pour les versements réalisés en 2022, cette limite est relevée dans la même proportion que la limite supérieure de la première tranche du barème de l’impôt sur le revenu de l’année 2021. Le montant obtenu est arrondi, s’il y a lieu, à l’euro supérieur. Il n’est pas tenu compte de ces versements pour l’application de la limite de 20 % du revenu imposable. Précision : ce plafond de 554€ est bien distinct de celui dit “amendement Coluche” qui permet de bénéficier d’une réduction à 75% pour certaines associations caritatives et humanitaires dites « organismes d’aide aux personnes en difficulté ». Il est bien possible de cumuler ces deux avantages.
