Lourdes

Christine, a wheelchair-using woman with severe multiple sclerosis, joins a group of other disabled travelers on a pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in Lourdes, France. She is paired with a volunteer helper, Maria, who assists her with feeding and dressing. Christine admits to Maria that she is not particularly religious, but these pilgrimages give her the chance to travel and see new places.

Maria develops a crush on Kuno, one of the guards assigned to care for the group, and he is attentive to Christine. When Maria notices this, she abandons her duties and runs off, leaving Christine in the care of her roommate who is more mobile than she is. That day Christine is able to move her hand on her own.

As the group prepares to return home, the head helper Miss Cécile abruptly collapses while preparing for the final party. The following day, when Maria comes into Christine’s room to dress her for the day, she finds Christine already dressed. The other members of the group are stunned by Christine’s marked improvement and encourage her to have it officially recognized by the church.

She is seen by a doctor who verifies that, while she still struggles to walk, her improvement is outside the realm of what can be explained scientifically and tells her her case will be moved to a committee to determine whether it is a miracle or not. Christine is able to attend the last-day excursion, which Maria tries to block because it is a hike for the more able members. On the trip, other members wonder why Christine was miraculously cured while more pious people were not, and Christine remains largely oblivious to the speculation, spending some time alone with Kuno.

At the going-away party Christine dances with Kuno and then collapses. Though she recovers, others begin to doubt that she is cured. Standing on the sidelines, she initially refuses to sit down and stay seated, but eventually returns to her wheelchair.

Last Updated: November 22, 2025 at 15:57