Visiting Catholic Shrines in New Mexico

                                                                                                                                                                  I visited the Shrine of Saint Bernadette in Albuquerque this morning. I had read on the Archdiocese of Santa Fe website that during this" Year of the Faithful", pilgrimages to any of the designated Catholic shrines in New Mexico were encouraged and may be blessed with a plenary indulgence. Now I know this sounds very pre-Reformation to non-Catholic Christians but my interest in visiting a Catholic shrine was provoked by the Archdiocese offer of a plenary indulgence, which can be obtained either for oneself or for a deceased loved on. To my surprise I learned that one of these Catholic shrines, namely the St. Bernadette Shrine was in the same vicinity of Albuquerque as my home. I  had neither been aware of the shrine nor had heard mention of it at either of the parishes where I attend services. Furthermore I confess I was relatively ignorant of Catholic shrines and their religious significance. My research into shrines led me to the  Roman Catholic Code of Canon Law, canons 1230 and 1231 which read " The term shrine means a church or other sacred place which by reason of special devotion and designated by the local ordinate, is frequented by the faithful as pilgrims." And according to the Modern Catholic Dictionary, "A shrine is a holy place. It may be a box shaped repository in which relics of a saint are placed; or the sacred image or statue of Our Lord, the Blessed Virgin, or a saint to whom special devotion is given. Shrines may also be prominent sacred localities. They may be churches or the burial places of a saint, or the place where a saint lived or died, or where a heavenly apparition took place."  The Shrine of Saint Bernadette in Albuquerque has many of these qualities. A life-size replica cast of Saint Bernadette in a prayerful pose at the time of her death lies in a glass case in the Church's vestibule. There is a relic of her hair framed alongside as well as one of the slipper socks she wore when she was infirmed with Tuberculosis shortly before her death. She was obviously small in stature. What is most striking about the photos on display is her prayerful countenance. There is an expression of intensity as she prays. There are photos of the grotto where she received apparitions of the Immaculate Conception,  the spring which came forth by rubbing the adjacent soil on her face, the convent she entered at the age of 17 and the lace altar garments she knitted there. Across the vestibule is a statue of the Immaculate Conception and a small fountain pool of authentic Lourdes water which visitors can use for washing their hands and feet. All in all the Saint Bernadette Shrine confers a sense of holiness to this place - for some it may be a place of healing and spiritual cleansing. I encourage pilgrims to visit this shrine. I plan to go back.
For more information on this shrine, visit http://www.shrineofstbernadette.com/.                                                                  For the Archdiocese of Santa Fe's listing of New Mexico shrines click on  www.archdiocesesantafe.org/