Biography
Marie-Bernarde Soubirous was born to a very poor miller in Lourdes, France. She suffered from severe asthma and cholera, remaining small and frail. Between February 11 and July 16, 1858, at the age of 14, she experienced 18 visions of a 'beautiful lady' in the grotto of Massabielle. The lady asked for penance, a chapel to be built, and instructed Bernadette to dig in the mud to uncover a spring of water, which subsequently produced hundreds of miraculous healings. The lady finally identified herself, saying, 'I am the Immaculate Conception.' Despite intense skepticism, interrogations by authorities, and crowds of thousands, Bernadette remained humble and consistent in her account. She later joined the Sisters of Charity in Nevers, seeking a hidden life, and died of tuberculosis of the bone at age 35.
Miracles & Signs
- ✦The miraculous spring at Lourdes, which has resulted in 70 officially recognized medical miracles
- ✦Her body remains entirely incorrupt and is on display in Nevers, France
Wisdom & Quotes
“I was told to tell you, not to make you believe.”
“The Grotto was my heaven.”
“O Jesus, I would rather die a thousand times than offend You by a single deliberate sin.”