Report: 2026 Lourdes Mass at Adelaide Catholic Cathedral

The theme for Lourdes’ pilgrims in 2026 is “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you” (Lk. 1:28) This is the year of the welcome, of listening and of the ‘yes’ that changed everything. This year, we are at the beginning of our adventure… We’ll let ourselves be guided by the story of the Annunciation. Our purpose is to follow Mary on the threshold of her incredible adventure of faith, at the very beginning of her absolute trust in God’s will. Let us join her in the house of Nazareth. Let us open our hearts to the Word. THEME-ANNEE_EN-1.pdf

 On Saturday, February 14, 2026, St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral in Adelaide hosted the annual Lourdes Mass, a significant event in the spiritual calendar for the Catholic community and the Order of Malta. The Mass included an anointing of the sick, and a homily by Fr Dean Marin reflecting the compassion and healing associated with Our Lady of Lourdes.

The Order of Malta played a prominent role in the ceremony. SA Chaplain Fr Allan Winter was a co celebrant. Members joined the entrance procession and distributed over 150 bottles of Lourdes holy water after Mass.

Confreres Dr Ian Leitch read the universal prayer and Noel Mifsud was the commentator and provided a talk after Mass on the works of the Order of Malta and his experience of the Lourdes Pilgrimage. In an excerpt from his talk, he shared:

During one of the daily masses in Lourdes, the Grand Master of the Order reflected on the miracles witnessed at Lourdes saying:

We stand together here in Lourdes, which casts its own influence on us. We meditate on the miracle of Bernadette, and the miracles that have been wrought here, so many times over so many years. Since the wondrous apparition of Mary to the little 14-year-old in 1858 – those experiences were to have a profound experience on the world. We reflect on what a miracle is: It may not be a cure… but it may be a grace that is given to all pilgrims who come here – the miracle of serenity in the love of the Virgin Mary… The miracle of unconditional kindness to others, the miracle of tolerance… The miracle that helps us to understand that we are part of the same

The Mass attended by over 150 people included prayers for the sick, the frail, healthcare workers, and those deprived of adequate care.