Lourdes

Meet Juan Roldan, a retired U.S. Army staff sergeant traveling back to Lourdes for a second time to continue his healing.

Take a look inside one of the world’s largest underground basilicas—big enough to hold 25,000 people—where active and retired servicemen and women assemble yearly as part of the military pilgrimage to Lourdes.

Journey to the Catholic shrine of Lourdes with active duty and retired US veterans in search of healing. This episode of Sacred Journeys with Bruce Feiler premieres December 16 at 8/7C on PBS (check local listings). See more from Lourdes at http://pbs.org/sacredjourneys

Meet Cpl. Zach Herrick, a retired U.S. Army rifleman who was injured three months into his deployment to Afghanistan. Zach journeyed to Lourdes in search of healing.

Built an appetite from all of the travel? Grab a seat! Bruce is serving up lunch to the American military pilgrims in Lourdes.

Someone who loves me went to Lourdes… and all they got me was a water bottle? See how pilgrims bring the healing powers of the sacred sites of Lourdes to loved ones back home.

Many may find spiritual healing in the rites and rituals of the pilgrimage to Lourdes, while others believe they find physical healing. Whenever someone claims they are physically cured by the waters of Lourdes, the case is evaluated by an international committee of medical professionals. Get an exclusive look at the records of the Office of Medical Observations.

Take a look inside the baths at the grotto and hear from American pilgrims how they feel before and after taking part in this ritual.

Learn about Bernadette Soubirous, a young peasant who proclaimed in 1858 that she had had numerous encounters with the Virgin Mary in the small French village of Lourdes, in this video resource from PBS LearningMedia.