Saint’s Life Story

Her Early Life

Marie-Bernarde, nick-named Bernadette, was born on January 7, 1844 in Lourdes, Hautes-Pyrénées, France, a small town in the Pyrennes foothills. She was the oldest of nine children born to Francois and Louise. Two days after her birth, Bernadette was baptized at the local parish church, St. Pierre’s, the same day as her parents’ wedding anniversary.

Bernadette attended the day school conducted by the Sisters of Charity and Christian Instruction of Nevers, in central France. Contrary to a belief popularized by Hollywood films, Soubirous learned very little French, only studying French in school after age 13. Bernadette was frail. Early on she contracted cholera and suffered extreme asthma her entire life. Due to her poor health and frequent absences, her education was limited. She remained illiterate for much of her youth. She spoke the language of Occitan, which was spoken by the local population of the Pyrenees region at that time.

Hard Times

Although her father was worked as miller, the family was very poor. Hard times had fallen on France and the family lived in extreme poverty. In 1850, her father lost his mill. Four years later, increased poverty forced the Soubirous family to live in a one-room basement, an abandoned jail, called le cachot, “the dungeon”. Here, they were housed for free by her mother’s cousin, André Sajoux. From the age of 12 to 14, Bernadette was hired out as a servant due to her family’s financial situation. During this time, Bernadette worked as a shepherdess, tending to sheep. It was during her time as a shepherdess that she had a significant encounter that would change her life forever.

Apparations

On February 11, 1858, Bernadette, then aged 14, was out gathering firewood with her sister Toinette and a friend near the grotto of Massabielle when she experienced her first vision. While the other girls crossed the little stream in front of the grotto and walked on, Bernadette stayed behind, looking for a place to cross where she wouldn’t get her stockings wet. Finally, she sat down to take her shoes off in order to cross the water and was lowering her stocking. Bernadette heard the sound of rushing wind, but nothing moved. A wild rose in a natural niche in the grotto, however, did move. From the dark alcove, “came a dazzling light, and a white figure”. Bernadette saw a mysterious lady. The woman wore blue and white and smiled at Bernadette before making the sign of the cross with a rosary of ivory and gold. Bernadette fell to her knees, took out her own rosary and began to pray.

On her next visit a week later on February 18, Bernadette said that “the vision” asked her to return to the grotto every day for a fortnight. On her February 25th visit, Bernadette explained that the vision had told her “to drink of the water of the spring, to wash in it and to eat the herb that grew there,” as an act of penance. To everyone’s surprise, the next day the grotto was no longer muddy but clear water flowed.

At the thirteenth apparition on March 2, Bernadette told her family that the lady said “Please go to the Priests and tell them that a chapel is to be built here. Let processions come to her”. She went to her parish Priest, Father Dominique Peyramale with the request. He told Bernadette that the lady must identify herself. She asked as requested, but the lady just smiled and said nothing. He also asked that she perform a miracle, requesting that she make the rose bush beneath the niche flower on the last week of February.

“I am the Immaculate Conception”

Her sixteenth vision on March 25 lasted over an hour. The “Miracles of the Candle” is reported to have occurred during this apparition while Bernadette was holding a lit candle. During the vision, the candle burned down and the flame was said to be in direct contact with her skin for over fifteen minutes. However, Bernadette showed no sign of experiencing any pain or injury.

During this same visitation, she again asked the woman for her name, but the lady just smile. She repeated the question three more times. Finally, the mysterious lady told Bernadette – “I am the Immaculate Conception”.  Over these weeks, Bernadette saw 18 apparitions in total.

Controversy

Bernadette’s story caused a sensation among the townspeople, who were divided in their opinions on whether or not she was telling the truth. Some believed her to have a mental illness and demanded she be put in an asylum. Despite facing skepticism and ridicule, Bernadette remained steadfast in her faith.

Because the dogma of the Immaculate Conception had been officially proclaimed less than four years earlier, the fourteen year-old Bernadette could not have even known of its existence. So, when Bernadette repeated the words, it gave credibility to her apparitions. It was confirmation from heaven that the dogma of the Immaculate Conception was indeed true.

Entered Convent

At age 22, Bernadette entered the convent of the Sisters of Charity in Nevers. Here, she had learned to read and write. Although she had many trials there, she happily performed the menial tasks assigned to her. Initially, Bernadette worked in the kitchen and as an assistant in the infirmary. Then, later Bernadette also worked as a sacristan, creating ornate embroidery for altar cloths and vestments.

Other sisters in the convent admired her humility and spirit of sacrifice. One day, when asked about the apparitions, Bernadette replied:

“The Virgin used me as a broom to remove the dust. When the work is done, the broom is put behind the door again.”

In September, 1878, at the age of 34, Bernadette made her perpetual vows at their motherhouse, the Saint Gildard Convent in Nevers.

Her Death

Bernadette suffered heroically and secretly for several years from tuberculosis of the bone in the right knee, which caused her excruciating pain. On her deathbed, while praying the rosary, Bernadette died on April 15, 1879 at the age of 35 in Nevers, Nièvre, France. Her body was later exhumed in 1909 and found incorrupt, a sign of her sanctity. Saint Bernadette is the first saint to have been photographed.

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is now one of the major Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world. An estimated 200 million people have visited the shrine since 1860 with an estimated 3 million pilgrims visiting it every year, seeking healing and spiritual renewal. The Roman Catholic Church has officially recognized 72 miracle healings, the 72nd of which was the cure of Antonietta Raco, recognized on April 16, 2025.

Born:                  January 7, 1844 in Lourdes, Hautes-Pyrénées, France

Died:                  April 16, 1879 age 35 in Nevers, Nièvre, France

Beatified:          June 14, 1925 by Pope Pius XI

Canonized:       December 8, 1933 by Pope Pius XI

Feast Day:        April 16, February 18 (Pre-1969)

Patron Saint:    Against Illness; Against Poverty; Lourdes, France; People Ridiculed For Their Piety; Shepherdesses; Shepherds; Sick People

Source:

• • St. Bernadette Soubirous – Visionary of Lourdes and Humble Saint – – All Saint Stories
  • St. Bernadette Soubirous: Mystic and Visionary at Lourdes – Catholic Fire
  • CatholicSaints.Info » Saint Bernadette of Lourdes
  • Our Lady of Lourdes – My Catholic Life!
  • Saint Bernadette of Lourdes – Saint for a Minute: Saints & Blesseds
  • Bernadette Soubirous – Wikipedia

Prayers

Video Link

Saint of the Week: St. Bernadette Soubirous – YouTube (The True Enlightenment!)