On 16 April, the Church will celebrate the feast day of St. Bernadette Soubirous, who received apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Lourdes in the mid-1800s. During these apparitions, Mary revealed herself to St. Bernadette as the Immaculate Conception, and she led the French teen to a spring that would become a source of miraculous cures for many.
Quick Facts about Saint Bernadette:
It was 16 April 1879, about 1515 HRS, that Sister Marie-Bernard, better known as Bernadette Soubirous, did at Holy Cross Infirmary of the Convent of Saint-Gildard in Nevers, France, at the age of thirty-five.
The Sisters of the Convent knelt at her bed, reciting the prayers for the dying. During the prayers, in a small, low voice, they heard Saint Bernadette say, “Blessed Mary, Mother of God, pray for me, a poor sinner, a poor sinner…” She never finished her prayer.
In August 1913, Pope Pius X conferred the title of Venerable upon her. The ceremony of beatification took place on 14 June 1925. Since then, her body, reposing in a glass reliquary, lies in the St. Gildard Convent of Nevers Chapel, guarded above by a statue of the Blessed Virgin and by the nuns who keep vigil.
On 8 December 1933, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Bin Rome, Bernadette Soubirous (the little nun—humble, unlettered, honest, and obedient) was canonized by Pope Pius XI as a Saint of the Roman Catholic Church. Her Feast Day is on 16 April, yet it is on 18 February in her native France.
The Life of Saint Bernadette, in Brief
Saint Bernadette came from a poor family in France and was the oldest of nine children. Our Lady appeared to Bernadette, 14 years old, beginning on 11 February 1858. At the Grotto of Massabielle, Bernadette saw “a small lady in white” who asked her to return each day to receive a series of 18 visions. Her family and townspeople were divided over what was happening: some believed it was a miraculous vision of the Virgin Mary. In contrast, others demanded that Bernadette be institutionalized. She was arrested at one point and interrogated. Still, Bernadette remained calm and was consistent in her telling of what was happening.
On 24 February, Saint Bernadette received a message from the Lady: “Penance, penance, penance…” During the following few days, she was commanded to dig at the Grotto, and a spring of clear water began to flow. During the next few visions, the Lady told Bernadette to go to the Parish Priest and ask that he build her a Chapel at the Grotto. The Priest, in turn, commanded Bernadette to ask the Lady her name and a sign. Finally, on 25 March, the Lady declared to Saint Bernadette: “I am the Immaculate Conception.” Four years earlier, Pope Pius IX had declared the infallible dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. Bernadette’s family, Priest, and friends later testified that she would never have heard the term before.
After the conclusion of the visions, Saint Bernadette joined the Sisters of Charity at the age of 22. She disliked the attention that she received because of the visions and lived the simple life of a consecrated religion until she died from tuberculosis at the age of 35. When her body was exhumed as part of the usual requirements for the investigation of sainthood, it was found to be incorrupt. She was canonized as a Saint of the Church by Pope Pius XI on 8 December 1933, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.
In her messages to Saint Bernadette, Our Lady emphasized prayer and penance for mankind’s sins. The visions also remind us of Our Lady’s love for God’s people. May we always cherish the gift of God’s Mother and call upon her when we are in trouble or need.
O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!
Healings at Lourdes
The most recent miracle recognized at Lourdes is that of John Traynor, a British World War I soldier, who was declared miraculously healed in 2024. This is the 71st officially recognized miracle at the site. Sister Bernadette Moriau’s healing, which was recognized in 2018, was the most recent.
While Lourdes is known for its 70 officially recognized miracles, many other healings and recoveries are reported but not formally classified as such.
The Lourdes Medical Bureau, composed of physicians and scientists, examines cases to determine if they meet the strict criteria for a miracle, including sudden, instantaneous, complete, and lasting healing without medical intervention. Once the Medical Bureau has investigated a case, it may refer it to the Vatican, which has its own criteria for determining if a healing is miraculous.
There are still those who attribute their healings to Lourdes.
“I always had this pain in the knee, the right knee,” says Mary H. Hartnell, a seventy-one-year-old resident of New York City. “It was hard for me to bend, walk, genuflect. My friends and I made a pilgrimage to Lourdes, and I believe that is what helped my knee.”
Mary, whom I wrote about in 2024, said that when she was visiting Lourdes, she participated in a ritual called the “water gesture.” At Lourdes, you wash your hands, face, and forearms with water from the spring.
“I took some of the water on my hand and decided to rub it on my knee, soaking that part of my dress,” says Mary. “I almost didn’t see it later that night, but I was walking better. Haven’t had a problem with my knee since.”
Mary H. Hartnell passed away in February of 2025.
Even I have a minor miracle, though I’ve not visited Lourdes.
During New Year and Fourth of July Celebrations, the sound of fireworks tends to trigger my PTSD. The emotional and physical reactions I experience are akin to a nightmare right out of a horror movie. Because of this, a friend suggested I send off for Lourdes water.
Over the last three years, on days I know there will be fireworks, I have blessed myself by making the Sign of the Cross with the water from Lourdes and praying the Rosary. For the last two years, I’ve not had reactions to the fireworks.
A Lesson from Saint Bernadette’s Live:
Be an instrument of service.
During the experience of the apparitions and continuing through the end of her life, Bernadette never thought that she was notable for having received the apparitions or had merited them in any way. She saw herself simply as an instrument through which God could work. It is clear from Bernadette’s life that dedicating herself to service was not merely a response to the apparitions she witnessed but was an essential part of who she was. This began when she cared for her siblings as a young girl and continued as she took on humble jobs as a religious sister. Bernadette’s steadfast disposition toward service allowed her to respond as she did to the apparitions — she allowed herself to be open to God’s grace.
