St Bernadette and Our Lady of Lourdes

Our Lady of Lourdes: Feast Day, February 11th

Bernadette Soubirous was born in Lourdes, France, in 1844. Bernadette’s father originally worked as a miller but when he lost his job, Bernadette and the family were forced to move into a dungeon in the town’s old police station. The room was small, damp and cold and Bernadette was often ill. Bernadette’s family could not afford for her to go to school, she could barely read or write and the only education she received was the Catholic teachings which she studied in the evenings.

At the age of 14, Bernadette was preparing for her First Holy Communion. On February 11th 1858, Bernadette, her sister Toinette and their friend Jeanne were sent by Bernadette’s mother to the Gave River to collect pieces of firewood.  The two other girls ran ahead and left Bernadette struggling to keep up. They knew a place where they could find some wood. They ran to Massabieille. This was a small cave or grotto where the townspeople often left their rubbish. Toinette and Jeanne ran across a small stream to get to the grotto. As Bernadette was taking off her shoes to make her way through the stream, she was startled by the sound of rushing wind.

Bernadette looked up towards the grotto. She noticed the cave was suddenly filled with golden light.  Lifting her eyes, she saw a lady of great beauty, dressed in a pure white robe with a blue sash, a veil over her head, a rosary clasped in her hands and yellow roses at her feet.  Bernadette rubbed her eyes. What a beautiful lady she thought. But where did she come from? And what was she doing here?

The beautiful lady smiled at Bernadette and asked her to say her rosary.  Bernadette said her prayers but when she looked up the lady had vanished.  Bernadette caught up to her two friends and discovered that they were upset with her. 

“What have you been doing? Playing in the river, while we are out here collecting wood?” demanded Jeanne.

“Did you not see the lady?” replied Bernadette, confused.

“Which Lady” asked Toinette. Bernadette could not believe that the others had not seen!

“In the grotto. She was the most beautiful lady I have ever seen!” she exclaimed.

“Stop being so silly Bernadette. I am going to tell mama.”

Bernadette’s mother was not pleased when she heard what had happened. She thought this could only bring trouble to the family.

“You are not to go there again Bernadette,” she said sternly.

However, Bernadette felt drawn to the grotto and pleaded with her parents to let her go again the next Sunday. After much thought, her mother finally agreed to let her go “A lady with a rosary cannot be evil,” she concluded.

With her parents blessing, Bernadette returned to the grotto and prayed with the lady again. During her third visit, the lady spoke to her. 

“Will you be so kind as to come here every day for fifteen days?” she said.

“Yes of course!” replied Bernadette softly. The lady continued:

“My child, I cannot promise you that you will be happy in this life, but happiness is waiting for you in heaven. Go and tell the priest that a chapel must be built here.”

Bernadette continued to visit the grotto, as the lady had requested. Soon the whole town was talking about what was happening there. Each time Bernadette went to the grotto larger and larger crowds went with her. However, only Bernadette could see the lady.

There were many people who were suspicious of Bernadette. The chief of police interrogated her and tried to confuse her by twisting her words.

“You are a liar! Tell the truth,” he shouted having taken Bernadette into the police station.

Though only 14, Bernadette stayed calm and answered questions politely, even though others were getting angry.

The police released Bernadette but people were still extremely mean to her. She was slapped by a woman in the street and another called her a brat! From then on the police followed her everywhere. They shouted at her, abusing her and her Catholic beliefs.

However, Bernadette remained strong and continued to visit the grotto.

The beautiful lady told Bernadette to dig down into the earth beneath the grotto and drink and wash in the water there. Bernadette dug with her hands and a little water began to come up from the ground.

The next day, the people were astonished to see a stream was running into the river from where Bernadette had dug. 

The lady also told Bernadette to bring a candle to the grotto each time she prayed and that people were to come there in procession.

The lady had still not revealed who she was. The priest in Lourdes had said:

"She must tell her name. If I knew it was the Blessed Virgin, I would do all she desires."

On March 4th, news had spread and the whole of France knew that it was the last of the 15 days Bernadette had promised to visit the grotto. 20,000 people were waiting there when she arrived. Though the lady appeared and prayed once again with Bernadette, she did not reveal who she was.

Three weeks then passed until Bernadette felt called to the grotto again.

Bernadette woke early on the morning of March 25th, and knew that she must return to Massabielle. It was the feast day of the Annunciation. The lady was already waiting for her. Bernadette said

“I love you and I am so glad you are here. Mademoiselle, would you be kind enough to please tell me your name?”

The lady extended her hands towards the ground, swept them upwards to join them on her heart, raised her eyes to Heaven and said, "I am the immaculate conception!"

Bernadette ran to the priest saying the words over and over so that she did not forget them.

"The lady said I am the Immaculate Conception." She exclaimed breathlessly as she entered the priest’s house. The priest looked up quizzically from his desk.

"Do you know what that means?" he frowned.

"No," Bernadette replied.

"Then how can you say the words if you do not understand them?"

Bernadette smiled. "I repeated them all along the way. The lady still wants the chapel to be built too."

The priest knew that there was no way that Bernadette could know those words herself and that the name was a special name for the Virgin Mary. He now knew that the vision was real. He immediately wrote to the Bishop and plans began to build the chapel.

At the age of 22, Bernadette became a nun and devoted her life to Mary. However, Bernadette died on April 16, 1879, at the age of 36.

Today, Lourdes is one of the most visited shrines in the world.  More than 8 million people come each year to the Grotto of Massabielle, where the Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette 18 times in 1858.

27,000 gallons of water flow each day from the spring which Bernadette dug. 80 miracles (healings with no scientific explanation) have happened after people have washed in those waters.

Every night, thousands of people walk in procession to the grotto, reciting the rosary and carrying candles.

They all come to ask for the help of Mary, the Immaculate Conception and to remember the example of Saint Bernadette, the brave and loving girl of Lourdes.

Our Lady of Lourdes, Pray for us.

St. Bernadette, Pray for us.