RAHWAY—St. Mary’s Church in Rahway will celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes on Thursday, Feb. 11.
The evening will begin with Mass in the church at 7 p.m. with a very special sermon on Marian apparitions by Fr. Dennis Kaelin, pastor of St. Mary’s and St. Mark’s churches. Immediately after the Mass, there will be a candlelight procession in the church and all in attendance will be invited to participate.
The parish will also host a social hour after the Mass that will highlight the culture of France, including music, deserts, and wine and cheeses.
On Feb. 11, 1858, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to a poor, 14-year-old girl named Bernadette Soubiroux of France. In total, there were 18 apparitions that year as experienced by Bernadette. A few years later, the local bishop, after declaring that the apparitions were worthy of belief, ordered a basilica built on the site of the apparitions.
Today, the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes is the most visited religious site in the world, largely due to the reported healing powers of the water in a nearby grotto where the Virgin appeared.
St. Mary’s Church is located at 232 Central Avenue in Rahway. For additional information, call the parish office at 1-732-388-0082 between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. weekdays.
