🙏 Pray at the grotto
Pilgrims visit the grotto where Bernadette said she saw the visions. They pray, light candles and leave their requests.
Christianity: Celebration and Pilgrimage » Pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Lourdes
What you'll learn this session
Study time: 30 minutes
Edexcel spec: Paper 2 Christianity (4RS1/2B), 2.2
- What pilgrims do in Jerusalem: the Via Dolorosa, Golgotha and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
- Why Jerusalem is important to Christians
- The story of Lourdes in France and what pilgrims do there
- Why Christians have different attitudes to pilgrimage today
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Unlock This CoursePilgrimage to Jerusalem
In the last lesson you learned that a pilgrimage is a journey to a holy place for a religious reason, and that Christians are not required to go. Jerusalem is the city where Christians believe Jesus was put to death and rose again. Pilgrims go there to follow the last events of his life. Three places matter most.
Key terms:
- Via Dolorosa: a route through the Old City of Jerusalem. The name means the "Way of Sorrow". It follows the path that Christians traditionally believe Jesus took to his crucifixion.
- Golgotha (recap from The Trials, Death and Resurrection of Jesus): the place where Christians believe Jesus was crucified. The name means "place of the skull".
- Church of the Holy Sepulchre: the church built over the traditional sites of the crucifixion and of the tomb where Jesus was buried. A sepulchre is a tomb.
The Via Dolorosa
Pilgrims walk the Via Dolorosa slowly, stopping to pray at points along the way. These stops are the Stations of the Cross, which you met in the lesson on Lent and Holy Week. At each one, pilgrims remember a moment from Jesus' last journey, read from the Gospels and pray. Some carry a wooden cross as they walk. This is especially common on Good Friday, when large crowds take part. The walk ends inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Walking the route helps pilgrims think about how much Jesus suffered.
Golgotha
Golgotha is where Christians believe Jesus died on the cross. Inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a chapel marks the traditional place. Pilgrims kneel, pray and touch the rock under the altar. For many, this is the most serious moment of the pilgrimage, because it is where they believe Jesus gave his life for humanity.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The first church on this site was built in the 4th century. Christians believe the same building covers both the place of the crucifixion and the empty tomb. Pilgrims queue to enter the small chamber of the tomb and pray there, remembering the resurrection. The church is shared by several Christian Churches, including the Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Armenian Churches. Each looks after its own part of the building, and pilgrims from all of them meet there.
Why Jerusalem matters to pilgrims
Jerusalem is where Christians believe the events at the heart of their faith happened: the death of Jesus on the cross and his resurrection. You studied these in the lesson on the trials, death and resurrection of Jesus. Standing in the places makes the story feel real, and it helps pilgrims value what they believe Jesus did for them. It also lets them pray alongside Christians from many traditions.
Pilgrimage to Lourdes
The spec asks you to study one other place of pilgrimage. This course uses Lourdes, a town in the south of France. It is one of the most visited Christian pilgrimage places in the world, and millions of pilgrims go each year, especially Roman Catholics.
Key terms:
- Lourdes: a French town where a girl called Bernadette said she saw Mary, the mother of Jesus, in 1858.
- Relic: an object connected to Jesus or a saint, such as part of a saint's body, that is treated with respect.
The story of Bernadette
In 1858, Bernadette Soubirous was a poor 14-year-old girl in Lourdes. She said that she saw a lady in a grotto (a cave) by a river. Over the next months she described eighteen visions. Roman Catholics believe the lady was Mary. Bernadette said she was told to dig in the ground, and a spring of water appeared. News spread quickly and visitors began to arrive. Bernadette later became a nun.
What pilgrims do at Lourdes
💦 Use the spring and baths
Pilgrims drink the spring water and many bathe in it. They pray for healing or for strength, and for others who cannot come. Many take some water home.
🕯 Join the torchlight procession
Each evening in the pilgrimage season, pilgrims walk with candles, singing hymns and praying together, led by a statue of Mary. It shows that they are one community.
🤝 Care for the sick
Many pilgrims are sick or disabled. Volunteer helpers push wheelchairs and carry stretchers. Everyone is treated with respect.
Lourdes is known for its healing. Many pilgrims hope for a cure, but many go for comfort, hope or strength to cope with illness. The Catholic Church has officially recognised only a small number of cures as miracles, after careful checks. Many pilgrims say that the greatest gift of Lourdes is the care and friendship they find there.
Different attitudes to pilgrimage today
Christians do not all agree about how important pilgrimage is.
- Catholic and Orthodox Christians generally value pilgrimage highly. They honour holy places and relics, and both honour Mary. Lourdes and Jerusalem are important to them. They see pilgrimage as a way to grow in faith, to ask for healing and to show devotion.
- Many Protestant Christians are more cautious. They teach that God can be worshipped anywhere, so no place is holier than another. Some worry that holy places, relics and honouring Mary take attention away from Jesus. Many still visit Jerusalem to learn about the Bible, but they do not think it is necessary.
Most Christians would agree on one point: pilgrimage can help faith, but it is never necessary. Cost, health and distance mean many Christians never go, and they are not thought less faithful.
Common mistakes
- Saying Lourdes is in Jerusalem or in Italy. Lourdes is in France, and Jerusalem is in the Holy Land.
- Mixing up the Via Dolorosa (the route), Golgotha (where Jesus was crucified) and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (the building over the crucifixion and tomb sites).
- Saying all Christians value pilgrimage equally. Catholic and Orthodox views are different from many Protestant views.
- Describing what pilgrims do without saying why it matters. Always link the action to a belief or its effect on the pilgrim.
Exam-style question
Paper 2 (Christianity)
(a) Outline two activities that Christian pilgrims do at Lourdes. [4 marks, AO1]
(b) Explain why Jerusalem is important for Christian pilgrims. [6 marks, AO1 and AO2]
(c) 'Pilgrimage is not important for Christians today.' Discuss this statement, considering the arguments for and against. In your answer you should include reference to teachings, other (divergent) points of view, and your opinion using reasoned arguments. [10 marks, AO1 and AO2]
Model answer
(a) Pilgrims bathe in or drink the water from the spring (1), because they pray for healing or strength through it (1). Pilgrims join the evening torchlight procession in the pilgrimage season (1), where they walk with candles, sing hymns and pray to show they are one community (1).
(b) Jerusalem is important because Christians believe Jesus was crucified and rose again there. Pilgrims walk the Via Dolorosa, remembering Jesus' last journey, so they think about how much he suffered. At Golgotha they kneel and pray where Jesus is believed to have died, which reminds them of what they believe he did for humanity. In the Church of the Holy Sepulchre they visit the tomb, which helps them remember the resurrection and strengthens their hope. The church is shared by Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Armenian Christians, so pilgrims also feel part of a worldwide Church. This makes their beliefs feel real, and they often return with deeper faith.
(c) Plan. For (agreeing with the statement): pilgrimage is not a duty in the Bible; many Protestants say God can be worshipped anywhere and are cautious about holy places, relics and Mary; cost and health stop many; faith can grow through prayer and church life at home. Against: Catholic and Orthodox Christians value pilgrimage highly, for example to Lourdes and Jerusalem; walking where Jesus walked and the Stations of the Cross make the Gospels real; the sick find care and hope at Lourdes. A possible conclusion: pilgrimage is important to some Christians but not necessary for any, so the statement is only partly true. It depends on the tradition, and no Christian needs it to be faithful.
Exam tip
In part (c), name a different group inside Christianity, such as Catholics or Protestants, when you give the opposite view. Then give your own opinion and say why.
Recap
- In Jerusalem, pilgrims walk the Via Dolorosa, pray at Golgotha and visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which covers the traditional sites of the crucifixion and the tomb.
- Jerusalem matters because Christians believe the death and resurrection of Jesus happened there.
- Lourdes is in France. Bernadette said she saw Mary there in 1858.
- At Lourdes, pilgrims pray at the grotto, use the spring and baths, join the torchlight procession and care for the sick.
- Catholic and Orthodox Christians value pilgrimage highly. Many Protestants are cautious. Most agree it can help but is never necessary.