For three days, Lourdes hosted the 66th International Military Pilgrimage, bringing together soldiers, families, the wounded and foreign delegations around celebrations, military ceremonies and times of contemplation. From May 22 to 24, 2026, the Marian city once again became a unique meeting place between faith, memory and international fraternity.
Every May, Lourdes becomes the convergence point of the military community from France and many foreign countries. Organized by the Diocese of the French Armed Forces, the International Military Pilgrimage (PMI) brings together those whom Saint John Paul II called the “sentinels of peace”. This 66th edition took place from May 22 to 24, 2026 around a dense program mixing religious ceremonies, military gatherings, moments of brotherhood and tributes to the injured as well as the missing. For three days, personnel from the Ministry of the Armed Forces, families, young volunteers, veterans and international delegations took part in celebrations in the various emblematic places of the Lourdes sanctuary, but also in several sites in the city.
An opening marked by tributes and contemplation
The first ceremonies began on Thursday May 21 with a tribute paid to the year’s fire deaths. The Paris Fire Brigade, the Marseille Fire Brigade and the firefighters gathered for a ceremony and a laying of candles at the departure of the Crowned Virgin. The evening continued with a mass celebrated at the Grotte de Massabielle, a spiritual center of the sanctuary.
Between faith, military traditions and international meetings
Friday May 22 marked the official opening of the French pilgrimage with a mass at the Basilica of Saint Pius X and the sacrament of the sick. A few hours later, the Rosary esplanade hosted the international military ceremony, the central moment of the PMI where foreign delegations gather around flags and military formations. The program then alternated between spiritual approaches and thematic meetings: the Bartrès path, the “In the footsteps of Bernadette” route, the Stations of the Cross of the Espélugues and even the gathering of future baptized and confirmands. The day was also punctuated by several military highlights, including the photo of the National Gendarmerie and the laying of candles organized by the institution. In the evening, the international opening of the 66th PMI in Saint-Pie X brought together foreign delegations before a youth meeting organized at the international camp.
The injured and support at the heart of the pilgrimage
The PMI also recalls the support mission carried out by the diocese to the French Armed Forces with injured soldiers and their families. On Saturday, May 23, the sanctuary meadow hosted the International Challenge for the Wounded and Ability, a moment of sharing between wounded soldiers and participants from several countries.
The army health service also organized a procession and a tribute to staff, patients and families, with the laying of candles to the Crowned Virgin. The pilgrimage is also an opportunity for many participants to receive the sacraments of reconciliation, baptism, the Eucharist, confirmation or even the sick.
Heavy to the rhythm of military music and traditions
Beyond the religious celebrations, the city lived to the rhythm of the activities proposed by the different delegations. The International Festival of Military Music brought life to the streets of Lourdes on Saturday afternoon, while the National Navy Band offered an aubade at the parish church square on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the Navy. The Italian delegation offered a concert at the Sainte-Bernadette space, before the great Marian procession organized in the evening. Among the most spectacular animations of this edition was also a parachute jump carried out in the sanctuary meadow.
An international mass to conclude the gathering
On Sunday, May 24, the international mass celebrated at Saint-Pius X was one of the highlights of the pilgrimage. The morning continued with the official photo of the heads of delegation and the presentation of the trophies of the International Challenge for the Wounded and Ability on the Esplanade du Rosaire. After the last times of prayer and the traditional “goodbye”, the pilgrims gradually left Lourdes, marking the end of this 66th edition of the International Military Pilgrimage.
