Our Lady of Lourdes of Tuital, Marian sanctuary of pilgrimage in the diocese of Dhaka

Marian Advocation of Tuital (Daca)

The invocation Our Lady of Lourdes has its origin in the eighteen apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Saint Bernardette Soubirous in the Grotto of Massabielle, on the outskirts of Lourdes (France), between the 11 February and 16 July 1858. These apparitions were officially recognized by the Bishop of Tarbes 18 January 1862. Since then, the French sanctuary has become one of the great pilgrimage centers of the world.

Main data

Origin and history

The invocation Our Lady of Lourdes has its origin in the eighteen apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Saint Bernardette Soubirous in the Grotto of Massabielle, on the outskirts of Lourdes (France), between the 11 February and 16 July 1858. These apparitions were officially recognized by the Bishop of Tarbes 18 January 1862. Since then, the French sanctuary has become one of the great pilgrimage centers of the world.

As regards Santuario de Tuital (Bangladesh) dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes, no consta in the accessible sources a detailed documented history of its foundation (year of erection, founder, diocesan decree, development of the pilgrimages, etc.). The sources consulted on the Church in Bangladesh and on the sanctuaries of the diocese of Daca do not provide concrete and verifiable data on this sanctuary under the title "Our Lady of Lourdes of Tuital."

It can therefore only be said with certainty that this is a local devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes implemented in Bangladian territory, in a context of Minority Catholic Church in a Muslim-majority countryin accordance with the general religious situation in Bangladesh, where Christians constitute a small minority compared to the Islamic majority.

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The image and the sanctuary

There is no precise and verified description of the image venerated as Our Lady of Lourdes of Tuital (image type, material, size, author, concrete iconography).

By analogy with the universal iconography of Our Lady of Lourdesbut without being able to claim it documentally for Tuital, the Virgin is often represented standing, dressed in white with blue shajin, rosary in her hands and a rose in each foot, evoking the description of Bernardette Soubirous. For the specific case of Tuital, no consta that this description accurately matches the local image.

Concerning sanctuary / templeno verifiable data on:

– nombre oficial canónico del templo (parroquia, santuario diocesano, etc.); – fecha de erección como santuario; – características arquitectónicas; – eventual título de minor basilica, National sanctuary o diocesan sanctuary.

The information available in the open consultation does not confirm whether the place has official recognition as a Marian sanctuary at the diocesan or national level. For this paragraph, it can therefore only be said that this is a gruta de Lourdes in Tuital, linked to the rite católico latino in the diocese of Daca, without further documented details.

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Sponsorship and coronation

– Patronage: It does not contain, in the sources consulted, that Our Lady of Lourdes of Tuital has been officially proclaimed patron of a city, municipality, diocese or nation. In the universal Church, Our Lady of Lourdes is particularly associated with the sick and to the pilgrimage of healing. For the local Tuital case, there is no accessible document defining a canonically proclaimed patronage.

– Canon coronation: No consta una documented canonical coronation of the image venerated in Tuital (neither decree of the Holy See, nor act presided over by pontifical delegate, nor reliable mention in international Catholic press).

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Party and devotion

La universal liturgical feast of Our Lady of Lourdes se celebra el 11 February, anniversary of the first apparition in Lourdes, France. The Church is particularly associated with prayer for the sick and, from John Paul II, with the World Day of the Sick.

As for the main feast in the sanctuary of Tuital, there is no official reference indicating:

– si se celebra el 11 de febrero según el calendario universal; – si existe además una fiesta propia local (otro día del año); – el rango litúrgico propio en la diócesis de Daca.

It has been transmitted at the level of dissemination that come many faithful in February to a Grotto of Lourdes in Tuital, in a context of pilgrimages and Marian devotion in a country of Muslim majority; however, this data no appears corroborated in available diocesan or international sources. It must therefore be maintained that no documentado in a strictly historical sense, even if it is likely by analogy with other Lourdes grotto in Asia.

They also do not contain with precision:

– cifras oficiales de afluencia de peregrinos; – tradiciones populares concretas (procesiones, vigilias, promesas, velas, baños, etc.); – testimonios documentados de favores o gracias recibidas que hayan sido recogidos oficialmente.

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Link to the Rosary

La devoción a Our Lady of Lourdes in its origin is deeply linked to Rosary: Bernadette prayed the rosary during the apparitions, and the iconography of the Virgin of Lourdes usually shows with a rosary on your hands. This "rosarian" dimension is a stable part of Lourdes' spirituality throughout the world.

For the sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes of Tuital, there is no specific description of practices linked to the Rosary (for example, community prayer times of the Rosary, processions of the Rosary of torches, novenas or leagues of the Rosary of the place). Since it is a gruta de Lourdes and that devotion to this advocation throughout the world is traditionally based on the prayer of the Rosary, it is reasonable to assume a strong link between local piety and this Marian prayer; however, this can only be affirmed in general terms, not as a documented data for Tuital.

In a general Marian sense, where it venerates Our Lady of Lourdes, el Rosary:

– ayuda a contemplar los misterios de Cristo con María, en sintonía con el mensaje de conversión, penitencia y confianza en la misericordia divina propio de Lourdes; – sostiene la fe de las comunidades cristianas minoritarias, particularmente en contextos donde los católicos son una pequeña porción de la población, como sucede en Bangladesh; – se convierte en una forma sencilla y profunda de unir espiritualmente cualquier gruta de Lourdes, como la de Tuital, con el great sanctuary of Lourdes in Francefrom which all this devotion takes its origin.