St. Bernadette Soubirous

Bernadette Soubirous, in religion Sister Mary Bernard, was born at Lourdes, 7th January 1844. Died at Nevers, in the odour of sanctity, 16th April 1879. She was declared venerable 13th August 1913 and canonised 8th December 1933. The eighteen apparitions of the Immaculate Virgin took place between the 11th February and 16th July 1858, when Bernadette was in her 15th year. (Roman Missal, 1962)

On December 8th 1933, Pope Pius XI declared Bernadette Soubirous a Saint of the Catholic Church. Her feast day was fixed for February 18th, the day her Lady promised to make her happy, not in this life, but in the next. The Faithful however give her two more feast-days—April 16th, the day of her death, and February 11th—the day her Lady stepped from Heaven into her heart.

The story of Saint Bernadette has always been one of my favorites, even before I was Catholic. It's the amazing story of a young girl who talked and prayed with Our Lady, who never gave in under intense pressure from her loved ones, her neighbors and the authorities to deny what had happened to her. When she was canonized, and her coffin was opened, the people in attendance smelled the beautiful fragrance of roses and her body was incorrupt, even after being buried for 30 years in the damp ground. Her incorrupt body lies in a glass coffin in the city of Nevers even now.

In Berndette's own words:
What my Lady meant by "I am the Immaculate Conception," I had no idea. I decided to ask Mademoiselle Estrade. She had a serene sense of the supernatural.

"Mademoiselle, what does it mean, Immaculate Conception?" Mademoiselle explained how Pope Pius IX had applied the words to Our Blessed Lady four years ago on December 8th.

It was then I realised I could speak what was unspoken in my soul for seven silent weeks—that Aquero was the Immaculate Virgin Mary. She was the Mother of God, and she had been stepping out of Heaven to share her soul with me. She had taught me prayers no soul on earth had prayed. She had promised me happiness, not in this world, but in the next.

Please read St. Bernadette story here.

St. Bernadette, please pray for us.
Amen †