The thing that I have enjoyed the most about being at Lourdes, apart from sitting by the river and watching the world pass by, is taking part in the Mariale procession. This starts at 9pm, with a multilingual introduction over the loudspeakers. The procession sets off, and each night there is a rosary said, interspersed with singing along the way, often with parts in Latin that everyone can sing. The whole rosary is multilingual, led through the loudspeakers. The languages vary a little each night, depending on which countries have pilgrimage groups there. People generally only reply when the prayer is said in their own language. Most people are holding lit candles, and there are also spectators also holding candles. At the back it can take 2-3 decades to actually start moving and then you move around the whole processional esplanade. You can see people down the other side, the procession is very long. It is hard to know why, but I find that each evening after I have taken part in this procession I have felt an incredible peace afterwards. It is a very beautiful calm thing to be part of.
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