Lourdes
.
In SW France, site of a shrine of the Virgin
Mary
. In 1858 the 14-year-old peasant girl,
Bernadette
Soubirous, had visions of the Virgin Mary who told her that she was the
Immaculate Conception
(a dogma then recently defined). A spring appeared and miraculous healings began to be reported, with the result that increasing numbers began to visit Lourdes. In 1862, the pilgrimage was officially recognized, and the first of a succession of churches was begun. A recent building has been the vast underground basilica of St Pius X, dedicated by the future Pope John XXIII in 1958. Feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes, 11 Feb.
Love
.
The many facets of love have been given expression in religions in ways so diverse that they characterize priorities and attitudes. For examples of these characterizations, see
AGAPE
;
BHAKTI
;
K
MA
;
KARU
;
MO TZU
;
PREMA
;
RA
M
N
YA
.
Love Feast
: