The National Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes was proclaimed a Public Oratory on December 8, 1965 by His Eminence, Lawrence Cardinal Shehan, Archbishop of Baltimore. The faithful who visit the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes out of devotion may gain special indulgences. A plenary indulgence is available to individual visitors on all feastdays of Our Lady, on all Saturdays, on all Sundays, and to members of a group pilgrimage on any day of the year. To gain this plenary indulgence, pilgrims are requested to fulfill the usual conditions of confession and communion and prayers for the intention of the Holy Father, and to recite at the Grotto the Hail Mary together with the invocation "O. Mary, Virgin and Mother of God, pray to Jesus for me." A partial indulgence of 500 days is granted each time a visit is made to the grotto and the Hail Mary is said together with the invocation and prayers for the intention of the Holy Father.
