What Is Saint Bernadette The Patron Saint Of

St. Bernadette – Saints & Angels

St. Bernadette was born on January 7, 1844, in the French town of Lourdes. Despite the fact that her parents were impoverished, she was the first of nine children. On January 9, she was christened at St. Pierre’s, the parish church in the neighborhood. Bernadette was diagnosed with cholera when she was a youngster, and she also suffered from severe asthma. Unfortunately, she suffered from bad health for the remainder of her life. It was on the 11th of February, 1858, when Bernadette, then fourteen years old, was dispatched with her younger sister and a friend to fetch firewood when she was surprised by the appearance of a very beautiful lady atop a rose bush in a grotto known as Massabielle (Tuta de Massavielha).

When Bernadette got down on her knees, she pulled out her own rosary and started praying.

Approximately three days later, Bernadette, her sister Marie, and several other girls returned to the grotto, when Bernadette instantly knelt and declared that she had seen “aquero” once again.

It was at this point when the ghost vanished completely.

  • Bernadette had daily visions of the Virgin Mary on each of her visits, and the time of daily sightings became known as “la Quinzaine sacrée,” which translates as “holy fortnight.” When Bernadette began to visit the grotto, her parents were mortified and sought to prevent her from doing so.
  • Bernardette claimed to have received a life-altering vision on February 25, and she shared it with the world.
  • The next day, the grotto’s murky waters had been cleansed and fresh pure water flowed.
  • Bernadette stated she had asked the woman her name, but her enquiry was merely replied with a smile.
  • Many believed she was telling the truth, while others believed she had a mental illness and demanded she be put in a mental asylum.
  • Church authorities and the French government rigorously interviewed the girl, and by 1862 they confirmed she spoke truth.
  • The Lourdes Commission that initially examined Bernadette, ran an analysis on the water but were only able to determine it contained a high mineral content.

Bernadette asked the local priest to build a chapel at the site of her visions and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is now one of the major Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world.

Pius X, which can accommodate 25,000 people and was dedicated by the future Pope John XXIII when he was the Papal Nuncio to France.

Though she considered joining the Carmelites, her health was too fragile.

Her Mistress of Novices was Sister Marie Therese Vauzou and the Mother Superior at the time named her Marie-Bernarde, in honor of her grandmother.

People admired her humility and spirit of sacrifice.

“How can I?” she answered quickly.

She died in the Sainte Croix (Holy Cross) Infirmary of the Convent of Saint-Gildard at the age of 35 on April 16, 1879, while praying the holy rosary.

A poor sinner, a poor sinner.” The nuns of Saint-Gildard, with the support of the bishop of Nevers, applied to the civil authorities for permission to bury Bernadette’s body in a small chapel dedicated to Saint Joseph, which was within the confines of the convent.

On May 30, 1879, Bernadette’s coffin was transferred to the crypt of the chapel of Saint Joseph, where a very simple ceremony was held to commemorate the event.

They claimed the crucifix and rosary she carried had been oxidized but her body remained incorrupt.

The group washed and redressed Bernadette’s body then buried it in a new double casket.

The skin has disappeared in some places, but it is still present on most parts of the body.”

To all our readers,

Please don’t move your cursor past this. We stop your reading to respectfully request that you support the independence of Catholic Online School. 98 percent of our readers do not contribute; instead, they turn their backs on us. If you are an extraordinary reader who has already made a donation, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to you. If everyone contributed only $10.00, or whatever they could afford, Catholic Online School could continue to thrive for years to come. The majority of donors do so because Catholic Online School is beneficial.

  • Demonstrate to the rest of the world that you value access to Catholic education.
  • Help Now Bernadette’s body was unearthed for the third time in 1925.
  • Imprints of her hands were also created for the purpose of presenting her body, which was put in a gold and crystal reliquary in the Chapel of Saint Bernadette in the mother house in Nevers.
  • But that is not something I would have wanted to do.
  • Normally, one would expect this organ, which is essentially fragile and prone to crumbling, to have disintegrated very quickly or hardened into a powdery substance.
  • I brought this to the attention of others in attendance, saying that it did not appear to be a natural occurrence.” Saint Bernadette is frequently shown in prayer, holding a rosary or making an appeal to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Her beatification took place in 1925, and she was canonized by Pope Pius XI in December 1933. In addition to sickness, Saint Bernadette is the patroness of persons who have been mocked for their piety, poverty, sheepherders, shepherdesses, and the town of Lourdes in France.

Saint Bernadette of Lourdes

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is St. Bernadette of Lourdes?

Marie-Bernarde Soubirous was the original name of St. Bernadette of Lourdes, who was also known as Saint Bernadette Soubirous (born January 7, 1844, Lourdes, France—died April 16, 1879, Nevers; canonized December 8, 1933; feast day April 16, but sometimes February 18 in France), a French saint whose visions resulted in the establishment of the Marian shrine of Lourdes. Bernadette was the eldest of nine children from a working-class household; her father was a miller. She was in poor health and had to rely on others for help.

  1. When she was 14 years old, she had a series of visions of the Virgin Mary in the neighboring Massabiellegrotto, which she experienced between February 11 and July 16, 1858.
  2. Despite tremendous resistance from her parents, the local clergy, and civil authorities, Bernadette stood firm in her belief in the authenticity of these visions, and she faithfully delivered Mary’s teachings.
  3. Eventually, she was accepted into the novitiate at the motherhouse in Nevers, where she remained until her death in 1902.
  4. The young woman died in anguish, gladly embracing her excruciating sufferings as a faithful fulfillment of her “Lady’s” desire for penance, which she had accepted before.
  5. It is reported that her body, which is kept in the chapel of the St.
  6. Eucharist In the French town of Lourdes, the Eucharist is being celebrated.

Our Patron Saint

Lourdes, France-born Saint Marie-Bernarde Soubirous (January 7, 1844-April 16, 1879) was the daughter of a miller and was the patron saint of the city. In her visions, Bernadette saw a small young lady who requested that a chapel be built at the cave-grotto in France where the apparitions of Mary took place between February 11 and July 16, 1858. Bernadette is best known for her visions of a small young lady who requested that a chapel be built at the cave-grotto. Despite the fact that Bernadette’s mother had given birth to nine children, only four of them had survived infancy.

  1. France had fallen on hard times, and the family was forced to live in abject poverty.
  2. Bernadette, who was 14 at the time, went out to get firewood on February 14.
  3. Her pals performed and sang for her.
  4. In her account, the lady was dressed in a white veil, with a blue belt around her waist, and with a yellow rose on each foot, which she said was consistent with “any statue of the Virgin in a local church.” This was Bernadette’s first vision, and it was a powerful one.
  5. At first, they were skeptical of her claims.
  6. The local police commissioner summoned her to his office and threatened to arrest her, but because there was no evidence of wrongdoing, they were powerless to do anything more than threaten.
  7. This era of nearly daily visions came to be known as the ‘holy fortnight’ because of its frequency.

During the course of her apparitions, Bernadette repeatedly inquired of the lady about her identity.

Bernadette had the pleasure of seeing the charming Lady over and over again.

A fresh, chilly spring sprang forth from beneath the surface of the earth.

Many blind people were able to sight again.

And to encourage people to pray, fast, and participate in processions.” All of this was accomplished by them.

Bernadette moved to the hospice school run by the Sisters of Charity of Nevers because she didn’t like all the attention she was getting.

She then became a member of the Sisters when she was 22 years old.

She eventually developed TB of the bone in her right knee as a result of this infection. She finally passed away at the age of 35 as a result of her long-standing sickness. The feast day of St. Bernadette is celebrated on April 16th.

About St. Bernadette – Patron Saint Article

a representation of a young St. Bernadette They would have never guessed that it would be tiny Bernadette Soubirous who would be visited by the Queen of Heaven if the people of Lourdes had been told that she would pay a visit to one of them. Because she was poor and ignorant, she went unnoticed by the majority of people. However, “God sees things differently than men do,” and the God who decided to be born in a stable chose to glorify the humble and destitute Bernadette as a result. St. Bernadette Soubirous was born in 1844 to Francois and Louise Soubirous.

  1. They finally found themselves in the only location they could afford: an ancient, one-room prison known as “the dungeon,” since it was the only place they could afford.
  2. A happy family, the Soubirous remained so in spite of their trials and tribulations.
  3. Bernadette’s humble but joyful family life was irreversibly disturbed.
  4. Bernadette came across a lady who she described as “so beautiful that, once you have seen her, you would cheerfully die to see her again!” The Blessed Virgin was adorned in white with a blue belt around her waist, and a rosary was hanging from her right arm.
  5. Bernadette, requesting that she come to the grotto for fifteen days, vowing to make Bernadette happy “not here on earth, but in the world to come.” St.
  6. Local officials got more frightened and began to harass St.
  7. She was escorted to the police commissioner, Dominique Jacomet, who interrogated her for hours, attempting to get her to contradict herself.
You might be interested:  What Is Padre Pio The Patron Saint Of

She was mocked in the press, which shamelessly misinterpreted her tale.

Saint Bernadette, on the other hand, endured all of the scorn and public derision without raising an eyebrow, and she dutifully honored her commitment to visit the grotto.

Bernadette was instructed to drink and wash at a nearby spring.

Bernadette paused before drinking from the filthy water that had collected on the ground.

The onlookers scoffed at her, but later that day, pure water began to flow from the ground at the spot where St.

After some time, it was discovered that the water was the cause of several miracle treatments.

The Sacred Card of St.

St.

Because the Mother Superior feared that St.

Following St.

“O Bishop, we are at a loss for what to do,” the Mother Superior said, a cold response.

If it’s okay with you, Bishop, we can see if we can utilize her as a nurse in the hospital.” Even though St.

Consequently, she was once accused of being unproductive, to which St.

“It is my responsibility to be sick.” Throughout her life, St.

A severe tubercular growth in her right knee, as well as TB of the lungs, led to the death of this young woman.

Bernadette Soubirous.

Bernadette’s casket, which took place thirty years after her death, was a customary step in the beatification process.

Despite the fact that her rosary had rusted, there was no evidence of decomposition in St. Bernadette; she appeared to have simply gone asleep. It is still possible to see her uncorrupt body today, at the church of St. Gildard in Nevers, France.

Shop St. Bernadette Medals and Rosaries

Rated 5.00 out of 5 dollars 11.95

More About St. Bernadette

When the name of St. Bernadette is spoken, recollections of her visions of Our Lady in Lourdes, France, are frequently the next thing that comes to mind. Bernadette was selected by God when she was fourteen years old to experience visions of Our Lady, visions that would continue to inspire faith and hope for many years after her death. St. Bernadette Soubirous was born on January 7, 1844, in Lourdes, France, and is known as “the Little Flower.” She was the family’s first child, having been born as the family’s first child.

  • When St.
  • They took up home in an abandoned jail cell that had been declared filthy for the use of the inmates and had been abandoned.
  • This disease pushed her dangerously near to death; nonetheless, she was able to recover, although with asthma and heart palpitations as a result.
  • St.
  • On the 11th of February, 1858, St.
  • After stopping to change her shoes and socks before crossing the river, St.
  • When she looked around, she noticed that everything was quiet, with the exception of a rosebush waving in the breeze.

As she stood there looking at it, she saw the golden cloud.

The day was chilly, but her bare feet, adorned with yellow flowers, shined brightly in the warmth and brightness of the setting sun.

Bernadette also pulled out her own rosary and discreetly moved her fingers over the beads as St.

The woman then vanished without a trace.

Bernadette in Her Typical Attire St.

Her father gave her permission because he believed that a lady carrying a rosary would not be a hazard to anyone.

Bernadette sprinkled holy water on her and said, “If you have come from God, please remain.” Please leave if you do not wish to continue.” Her grin brightened with each sprinkling of holy water that was applied to her.

Bernadette came the next year, the woman invited her to stay with her for fifteen days.

She then requested that St.

Every day for many days, St.

Her entourage became larger with each trip, as more and more citizens joined her in their quest to obtain a sight of the woman.

Bernadette inquired as to the source of her sadness, she said simply, “Pray for Sinners.” Following this vision, the police commissioner arrested St.

Despite the fact that he had asked her questions and recorded her responses, she claimed that he had twisted all of her words into falsehoods after reading them back to him.

Bernadette spread across the neighborhood as a result.

Each time she came to the grotto, St.

This continued for several days.

Bernadette was present on one of those days when the woman revealed three secrets to her that she was not supposed to reveal to anybody else.

When the lady spoke another time, she did it in a style that was audible to everyone in the audience.

The current configuration of the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes When the woman came to St.

Bernadette followed her instructions.

Bernadette was unable to locate the spring that the lady was referring to, so the lady pointed her to a damp location on the ground where she might discover it.

Bernadette dug, although the earth was only somewhat moist at the time.

Her antics were ridiculed by everyone in attendance on that particular day.

Bernadette, on the other hand, returned later that day to see that the puddle on the ground had really transformed into a spring, and that clean water was gushing from the source.

The authorities were enraged by St.

She stayed cool and carried on with what the woman had instructed her to do.

Bernadette requested that the parish priest construct a chapel at the grotto, as the lady had requested, the priest instructed her to inquire of the lady as to her identity.

After asking the lady her name, St.

Bernadette was completely unaware of what this meant, yet she relayed the information to the priest.

In fact, it had only been four years before Pope Pius IX had conferred that title on the Virgin Mary, and St.

The priest was aware at the time that she was not making these visions up and that the Virgin Mary had in fact appeared to this little girl in person.

Bernadette for the last time on July 19, according to her diary.

When St.

However, St.

She took a sip and was instantly healed.

During her pilgrimage to France, St.

On October 30, 1867, she exchanged vows with her husband.

Bernadette had little formal education and no practical skills, the convent’s leaders were unclear about what to assign her to.

As time went on, St.

On being questioned about why she did not seek Our Lady’s healing, she responded by saying that Our Lady had informed her she would not live a long life.

In the Casket of St.

Bernadette Soubirous died on Easter Wednesday, April 16th, 1879, at the age of 35, which was a Wednesday in the Catholic calendar.

When they got inside, they discovered that her rosary had corroded and that her habit had frayed, but that her corpse was perfectly undamaged.

Bernadette Soubirous was canonized on December 8, 1933, by Pope Pius XI, who designated her a saint.

Every year, around 6 million people travel from all over the world to this magnificent place to take a bath in the curative waters of the spring. The feast day of St. Bernadette is celebrated on February 11th.

Patronage of St. Bernadette

St. Bernadette is the patron saint of the impoverished, individuals who are mocked for their religious beliefs, the ill, and shepherds, among other things.

St. Bernadette in Art

There are three various ways in which St. Bernadette has been shown in art: as a young lady, at the grotto with Our Lady, and as a nun. The period in which she lived is depicted by her appearance as a young lady, who is clad in clothes that is reminiscent of the historical period in which she lived: a plain dress and headcovering. Her presence at the grotto with Our Lady is frequently shown, and the grotto and spring of water are frequently seen in the background, as is the magnificent picture of Our Lady of Lourdes within the grotto.

Bernadette is frequently found on her knees in prayer, her eyes fixed on the Virgin Mary.

Many of the flowers she is pictured with are lilies, which represent her purity and represent her innocence.

Prayers of St. Bernadette

O my God, I implore You, through Your loneliness, not to spare me from sorrow, but rather to ensure that You do not forsake me in it. Teach me to recognize You as my only source of comfort when I am confronted with affliction. I pray that hardship would deepen my faith, increase the strength of my hope, and purify my love. Please give me the ability to see Your Hand in my affliction and to desire no other comforter than You in my time of need. Amen.

Prayer to St. Bernadette

O God, who is the protector and lover of the lowly, It was you who conferred upon your servant, Bernadette, the favor of a vision of Our Lady, the Immaculate Virgin Mary, as well as the privilege of speaking with Her. Please provide us the opportunity to see You in Heaven as we deserve. Saint Bernadette, I ask that you grant me the gift of praying in the midst of my sins by your intercession. Grant me the gift of holy remembrance, the grace of being conscious of Mary’s holy presence, and the virtue of quiet, I beg you.

You might be interested:  What Saint Do You Bury To Sell Your Home

Invoke for me a heroic faith, together with loving-filled confidence in the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, so that I may serve them with honor.

Thank you, Father.

This is our request via the intercession of Saint Bernadette and the intercession of the Twin Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

Prayer to St. Bernadette

Please, Saint Bernadette, who spent eighteen years at Lourdes contemplating the beauty of the Immaculate Mother of God and receiving her messages, and who afterwards desired to withdraw from the world and offer thyself as a sacrifice for the conversion of sinners in the convent of Nevers, obtain for us the graces of purity, simplicity, and mortification that we may also be granted the vision of God and Mary in the heavenly vision. Amen. Amen.

Saint Bernadette – Teach us to Serve and Pray

You had the opportunity to experience the pleasures and challenges of family life while at Lourdes. You saw Mary eighteen times at the rock. You sent a call to repentance to the sinners. The priests’ responsibility is to edify the Church of God. The parade of pilgrims is expected to arrive. You provided the name of Mary, the Immaculate Conception, as a source of information. You yearned to receive the Lord’s Body and to dwell in it with all your heart and soul. You were familiar with feelings of embarrassment and suspicion, as well as ridicule and humiliation.

  • You heeded the Lord’s summons and came forward.
  • Saint Bernadette instructs us on how to accept the good news.
  • In solidarity with your efforts, Bernadette, WE take up our Crosses and pray: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, intercede for us sinners.” We’ll accompany you to the springs of kindness, Bernadette, and wash our clothes.
  • Because of you, Bernadette, we see the other as a human being.
  • We are going to the Eucharist with you, Bernadette, and we will be meeting the Lord there.
  • The Church is walking in procession, following in the footsteps of Christ as a group.
  • Our Lady of Lourdes, intercede for us.
  • Amen.

Shop St. Bernadette Medals and Rosaries

Rated 5.00 out of 5 dollars 11.95

Prayers to Saint Bernadette

Saint Bernadette is the patron saint of those who suffer from illness or poverty. Bernadette grew up in a huge, impoverished family as the oldest kid. She had her first vision of the Virgin Mary in Lourdes, France, in February of 1858, during a pilgrimage there. In the next six months, she received an additional fifteen. Millions of people have traveled to Lourdes since Bernadette was visited by Our Lady in her visions.

Prayer to Saint Bernadette

You, pure and simple child of Mary, you who were privileged to behold her beauty and to be the recipient of her confidence eighteen times at Lourdes; you who did desire from that time on to hide yourself in the cloister of Nevers and there live and die as a victim of sinners, obtain for us that spirit of purity which will lead us also to the glorious vision of God and of Mary in Heaven.

Amen. If you enjoy this prayer, you’ll enjoy this prayer card even more!

Prayer to Saint Benadette

O My God, I implore You via Your Loneliness not to spare me from tribulation, but rather that You do not forsake me while I am suffering. Teach me to recognize You as the only source of solace when I am confronted with affliction. I pray that hardship would deepen my faith, increase the strength of my hope, and purify my love. May You grant me the wisdom to see Your hand in my pain and to desire no other source of solace than You. Amen. With this gorgeous prayer card and medal, you can keep your faith close at hand!

You may be interested in these:

  • Monicasays: Thank you, St. Bernadette, for taking the time to hear my pleas.

St. Bernadette, Patron Saint of Illness and Poverty

There have been many apparitions of the Virgin Mary. One of the most famous visitations of Mary was in Lourdes, in France, in the 1850’s.Mary appeared to St Bernadette and several other children at Lourdes and since then the area has become one of Catholicism’s most popular pilgrimages.St. Bernadette was born near Lourdes in 1844. She came from a large and loving family, and her parents were very religious. The young Bernadette was very religious, and loved to wander around the fields near her home in contemplation and prayer. From 1854 onward, her family experienced real difficulties. Her father was a miller and was falsely accessed of theft, leaving the family to experience real hardship. Young Bernadette frequently went hungry.One day, Bernadette was searching for firewood for her family. It was the 11th of February, 1858, the day that she saw the first apparition of Mary. As Bernadette was approaching a grotto, she heard an almighty noise, and then everything went quiet. In the grotto she saw a beautiful young woman. Bernadette did not know that the vision was the Virgin Mary, but she fell to her knees and prayed the Rosary with the lady. The vision disappeared after a few minutes. Bernadette told her sister about the apparition. Her sister was worried it could have been an evil spirit that Bernadette saw.St. Bernadette returned to the grotto with her two sisters, and again the Virgin appeared to her.Her sisters did not see the apparition, but they were astounded by their sister. She was transfigured during her visions of Mary, and this persuaded them that their sister was indeed seeing the Virgin and Mother of Jesus.The virgin appeared to Bernadette only. The story of the young girl who saw Mary caused a sensation. Some in the local community were supportive of Bernadette, while others mocked her. On one occasion, the Virgin told her to scrape the ground, and miraculously a spring of fresh water appeared from nowhere.The Virgin also urged her to tell the Church to build a chapel to her at the site of the Grotto.In total, the Virgin appeared 16 times to St Bernadette.The Church accepted that the Virgin had appeared to St. Bernadette. Eventually they built a series of chapels and churches around the grotto and it quickly became a world-wide centre of pilgrimage. The spring at the grotto has miraculous powers. There have been sixty miracles reported by those who visited the grotto.After the end of the apparitions, St. Bernadette became a novice nun with the Sisters of Charity. She worked in her convent’s hospice. However, her health was poor, and she eventually contracted tuberculosis. St. Bernadette died in 1879, at the age of 35.She was canonized as a Saint by Pope Pius XI on the 8th of December, 1933.Many of those who have been miraculously cured at Lourdes believe that St. Bernadette was responsible.St. Bernadette and her apparition of Our Lady of Lourdes has fortified many in their faith during testing times.

Our Patron Saint

Bernadette Soubirous is the patron saint of the French town of Lourdes. She was a visionary and a messenger of the Immaculate Conception, and she revealed to us the precise words of the Virgin Mary, spoken in the Basque language of Southern France and Northern Spain, which she had heard in a dream. She used her words to educate about the virtues of prayer, penance, poverty, and the Catholic Church. Bernadette received a personal message during the earliest and most well acknowledged Marian apparition of contemporary times.

  • St.
  • In 1879, she would pass away after a long and difficult illness, twenty–one years after she was born.
  • She was never found.
  • Even though she was able to take with her the knowledge of some mysteries that the Virgin had revealed to her, one secret remained concealed in our midst: Bernadette’s beautifully preserved body was buried in a wet tomb for thirty years before the cause for her beatification was taken up.
  • To this day, Bernadette’s corpse remains a tremendous source of inspiration and mystery around the ways of the Lord, as it was when she died.
  • In her resting place, St.

Saint Bernadette Soubirous

The Life of Saint Bernadette Soubirous Bernadette Soubirous was born in 1844 in the southern French town of Lourdes, the first child of a very impoverished miller. She was the daughter of Bernadette’s father, who was also a miller. The Bernadette family was living in the basement of a rundown building when the Blessed Virgin Mary came to Bernadette in a cave above the banks of the Gave River at Lourdes on February 11, 1858. Bernadette was a young girl at the time. Bernadette, 14 years old, was regarded as a good young lady, despite the fact that she was a mediocre student who had not yet received her first Holy Communion.

  • There were a total of 18 appearances, with the final one taking place on the feast of Our Lady of Mt.
  • Although Bernadette’s early claims were met with suspicion, her daily sightings of “the Lady” drew large audiences of people who were intrigued by her story.
  • The people were to congregate at this location to bathe in and drink from the spring that had bubbled up from the precise area where Bernadette had been commanded to dig, according to the legend.
  • Her feet were decorated with yellow flowers, and she wore a huge rosary on her right arm.
  • Only a few visions have ever been subjected to the kind of investigation that these apparition of the Immaculate Virgin were put through.
  • Miracles have been recorded at the shrine as well as in the spring’s flowing waters.
  • Bernadette endured a great deal throughout her life.
  • Five years later, she submitted a petition to be admitted to the Sisters of Notre Dame of Nevers convent.
  • However, within four months of her arrival, she was granted the last rites of the Church and was permitted to confess her vows.
  • She passed away on April 16, 1879, when she was 35 years old.
  • Reflection Millions of people have been to the spring Bernadette discovered in search of physical and spiritual healing, but she was unable to find relief from her illness there.

It was only by blind faith in things she did not comprehend that Bernadette navigated her way through life, which is something we all have to do from time to time.

Click here for more on Saint Bernadette!

A poor, illiterate peasant girl living in the little milling town of Lourdes, France, St. Bernadette Soubirous was known as “the Little Flower of Lourdes.” Bernadette received her first of many visits from the Blessed Virgin Mary on February 11, 1858, when she was fourteen years old. The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to her when she was gathering firewood with her sister and a friend. The message of Lourdes was straightforward: prayer and penitence were required. “Tell them I am the Immaculate Conception,” the apparition said in one of her visits, identifying herself as the Immaculate Conception.

  1. After seeing to it that Bernadette had sufficient religious instruction to be able to celebrate her First Holy Communion, the parish priest set her up with the tranquil convent of St.
  2. She finished her schooling there, and after taking vows, she dedicated her life to serving the sick and infirm.
  3. When she was asked about the various blessings the Blessed Mother had bestowed upon her, she responded with a wry grin, “What do you think of me?
  4. “If she had discovered someone who was even more ignorant than I was, she would have picked her over me.” Many people were drawn to Bernadette because of her humility, friendliness, and sense of humour, among other qualities.
  5. Bernadette was an ordinary human being who had a strong trust in God.
  6. When she was declared a saint by the Roman Catholic Church in 1933, she was officially acknowledged as such.
You might be interested:  Who Is The Patron Saint Of France

St. Bernadette of Lourdes

Notoriety, attention, and popularity are all desirable qualities. These things appear to be in short supply in our environment. It’s almost as if we go out of our way to find them, even if it means putting aside nice things we already have in our life in order to get our egos pumped up. Many of us discover that, after we get recognition, attention, and popularity, they do not improve our quality of life. Instead, they distort our judgment and cause us to drift more and further away from our genuine selves and from God.

Bernadette of Lourdes may have been swept from obscurity into the renown and attention that was being heaped upon her when she was still a little girl.

Then she secluded herself away from the throngs of people in order to keep her longing for God to herself.

Childhood challenges

Popularity, notoriety, and celebrity are all desirable qualities in a person. These goods appear to be in high demand in our world. The search for these ego boosters is a natural instinct for many of us, and we will go to great lengths to obtain them, even if it means sacrificing wonderful things already in our lives. A lot of us discover that celebrity, attention, and popularity don’t make our lives any better after we reach a certain level of success. As a result, they impair our judgment and cause us to drift more and further from our actual selves and from God.

Bernadette of Lourdes may have been catapulted from obscurity into the limelight and attention that was heaped upon her when she was still a small child.

Once hidden from the throngs of people, she could keep her lust for God and no one else burning.

The woman at the grotto

Bernadette’s family had fallen into such severe straits by the time she was 14 that they were forced to live in a one-room basement that had previously served as a prison. On February 11, 1858, she and one of her sisters, as well as a friend, went out to gather firewood near the grotto of Massabielle. Bernadette experienced an amazing occurrence when she was there. The other girls and she crossed a brook in front of the grotto as she moved a bit more behind them. Bernadette was taking her steps slowly and deliberately in order to avoid getting her stockings wet.

  • She was startled when she heard a rushing wind, but she couldn’t see anything but a wild rose growing in a nook of the grotto.
  • Bernadette later described to the vision as “a little young lady,” which she later clarified.
  • Bernadette returned to the grotto three days later, this time with another sister and several acquaintances.
  • Once again, none of the other females were aware of the apparition.
  • This time, the vision instructed her to return to the grotto on a daily basis for a week and a half (two weeks).
  • As word spread about Bernadette’s visions, her parents attempted to prevent her from visiting the grotto out of fear that they would be humiliated by her experiences.
  • Bernadette was resolved to visit the grotto, no matter what anybody else thought of her decision.
  • This woman’s description was quite similar to the ones given by the statues of Mary in local churches: she was dressed in a white veil with a blue girdle around her waist and with a yellow rose on each foot.
  • Bernadette followed the woman’s instructions, and the following day, the water in the grotto, which had before been murky, began to flow freely, clean water.

What more did Mary pray for during Bernadette’s visions, and what did she receive? She requested that a tiny church be erected for her on the grounds, as well as the formation of a procession. Bernadette received a communication from Mary that emphasized on the need of prayer and penance.

Fame is no match for a future saint

The narrative of Bernadette’s sightings of Mary spread fast around the world. In 1862, the Church conducted an investigation of the visions and determined that they were legitimate. Many pilgrims from all over the globe came to Lourdes in search of healing and tranquility, and the Lourdes Medical Bureau has documented 69 cures in the area. Bernadette’s story remained unchanged throughout the course of the Church’s inquiry. With confidence and even a certain detachment, she related her account to the investigators, telling one of them: “I’m charged with telling you, not with making you believe.” She didn’t want to make a grammatical or spelling error when recounting her visions.

  1. Bernadette was deluged with calls from journalists, fans, and even those attempting to bribe her for her time.
  2. When it came to narrating the visions, she was unwavering.
  3. She never changed as a result of the attention.
  4. People who receive this kind of attention are more likely to be concerned about worldly matters and to harbor a desire for celebrity.
  5. A rabbit hole into which it is difficult to crawl out is created.
  6. Bernadette in 1866, shortly after becoming a member of the Sisters of Charity.
  7. Instead of allowing the attention to draw her away from her Lord, she traveled to Nevers, France, where she became a member of the Sisters of Charity on July 29, 1866.

Bernard was designated as her patron saint.

The infirmary and sacristan positions she had in the monastery were both filled by her husband.

The Virgin used her as a broom to clean the dust off her visions, she said to someone who inquired about them.

She became ill with TB and died as a result of the disease on April 16, 1879.

On December 8, 1933, Pope Pius XI canonized her and declared her to be a saint.

St. Bernadette is the patron saint of bodily disease, Lourdes, poverty, shepherds and shepherdesses, and those who are mocked for their religious beliefs. She is also the patron saint of persons who are ridiculed for their religion.

Patron – Saint Bernadette

When Bernadette died at the Sainte Croix (Holy Cross) Infirmary of the Convent of Saint-Gildard on April 16, 1879, she was recognized as Sister Marie-Bernard by her fellow nuns and sisters in her congregation. She was thirty-five years old. Bernadette had always been a fragile kid, having been born into a modest family that had slowly but steadily fallen into terrible poverty. Early in infancy, she had already endured intestinal problems, and after narrowly avoiding being a victim of the 1855 cholera epidemic, she began experiencing excruciating bouts of asthma, which nearly caused her to be forced from the monastic life for the rest of her life.

During her brief existence, she was blessed with the final sacraments at the very least three times.

Her discomfort was significantly worse on Wednesday, April 16, 1879.

Eventually, she died.

in the afternoon.

“Then, in the presence of witnesses, the body was placed in a double coffin made of lead and oak, which was sealed in order to preserve a record of the proceedings.” “Inspector of the peace, Devraine, and constables Saget and Moyen” were among those who testified on the witness stand.

The civil authorities granted permission.

They got to work right away on prepping the vault for what was to come.

A fairly basic ceremony was organized to mark the occasion’s commemoration.

Bernadette was born in the French town of Lourdes.

A very beautiful Lady came to her atop a rose bush in a grotto called Massabielle on a Thursday, February 11, 1858, when she was sent there with her younger sister and a friend to gather firewood.

She gave Bernadette a kind smile before making the sign of the cross with a rosary made of ivory and gold.

The lovely Lady was none other than the Blessed Virgin Mary, God’s Mother.

When Bernadette asked her for advice, she informed her that she should pray for sinners, do penance, and have a chapel erected in her honor.

She had to go through a lot. Our Lady, on the other hand, instructed Bernadette to dig in the dirt one day. A spring of water began to flow as she was doing so. The next day, it proceeded to expand in size and prominence. A number of miracles occurred.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *