Bernadette Soubirous (; ; oc, Bernadeta Sobirós ; 7 January 184416 April 1879), also known as Saint Bernadette of Lourdes, was the firstborn daughter of a miller from Lourdes (''Lorda'' in Occitan), in the department of Hautes-Pyrénées in France, and is best known for experiencing Marian apparitions of a "young lady" who asked for a chapel to be built at the nearby cave- grotto at Massabielle. These apparitions occurred between 11 February and 16 July 1858, and the woman who appeared to her identified herself as the " Immaculate Conception." After a canonical investigation, Soubirous's reports were eventually declared "worthy of belief" on 18 February 1862, and the Marian apparition became known as Our Lady of Lourdes. Soubirous’s body has remained internally

incorrupt Incorruptibility is a Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox belief that divine intervention allows some human bodies (specifically saints and beati) to completely or partially avoid the normal process of decomposition after death as a sign of thei ...

. The Marian shrine at Lourdes (

Midi-Pyrénées Midi-Pyrénées (; oc, Miègjorn-Pirenèus or ; es, Mediodía-Pirineos) is a former administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region of Occitania. It was the largest region of Metropolitan France by a ...

, from 2016 part of Occitanie) went on to become a major

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

site, attracting over five million pilgrims of all denominations each year. On 8 December 1933, Pope Pius XI, declared Soubirous a saint of the Catholic Church. Her feast day, initially specified as 18 February – the day Mary promised to make her happy, not in this life, but in the other – is now observed in most places on the date of her death, 16 April.

Early life

Marie Bernarde Soubirous was the daughter of François Soubirous (1807–1871), a miller, and Louise (née Casteròt; 1825–1866), a laundress. She was the eldest of nine children—Bernadette, Jean (born and died 1845), Toinette (1846–1892), Jean-Marie (1848–1851), Jean-Marie (1851–1919), Justin (1855–1865), Pierre (1859–1931), Jean (born and died 1864), and a baby named Louise who died soon after her birth (1866). Soubirous was born on January 7, 1844 and baptized at the local parish church, St. Pierre's, on 9 January, her parents' wedding anniversary. Her godmother was Bernarde Casterot, her mother's sister, a moderately wealthy widow who owned a tavern. Hard times had fallen on France and the family lived in extreme poverty. Soubirous was a very sick child and possibly due to this only measured 1.4 m (4 ft. 7in.) tall. She contracted cholera as a toddler and suffered severe

asthma Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, co ...

for the rest of her life. Soubirous attended the day school conducted by the Sisters of Charity and Christian Instruction from

Nevers Nevers ( , ; la, Noviodunum, later ''Nevirnum'' and ''Nebirnum'') is the prefecture of the Nièvre Departments of France, department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region in central France. It was the principal city of the ...

. Contrary to a belief popularized by Hollywood films, Soubirous learned very little French, only studying French in school after age 13. At that time she could read and write very little due to her frequent illness. She spoke the language of Occitan, which was spoken by the local population of the Pyrenees region at that time and to a residual degree today.

Visions

By the time of the events at the grotto, the Soubirous family's financial and social status had declined to the point where they lived in a one-room basement, formerly used as a jail, called ''le cachot'', "the dungeon", where they were housed for free by her mother's cousin, André Sajoux. On 11 February 1858, Soubirous, then aged 14, was out gathering firewood with her sister Toinette and a friend near the grotto of Massabielle (Tuta de Massavielha) when she experienced her first vision. While the other girls crossed the little stream in front of the grotto and walked on, Soubirous stayed behind, looking for a place to cross where she wouldn't get her stockings wet. She finally sat down to take her shoes off in order to cross the water and was lowering her stocking when she heard the sound of rushing wind, but nothing moved. A wild rose in a natural niche in the grotto, however, did move. From the niche, or rather the dark alcove behind it, "came a dazzling light, and a white figure". This was the first of 18 visions of what she referred to as ''aquerò'' (pronounced ), Gascon Occitan for "that". In later testimony, she called it "a small young lady" (''uo petito damizelo''). Her sister and her friend stated that they had seen nothing. On 14 February, after Sunday Mass, Soubirous, with her sister Marie and some other girls, returned to the grotto. Soubirous knelt down immediately, saying she saw the apparition again. When one of the girls threw

holy water Holy water is water that has been blessed by a member of the clergy or a religious figure, or derived from a well or spring considered holy. The use for cleansing prior to a baptism and spiritual cleansing is common in several religions, from ...

at the niche and another threw a rock from above that shattered on the ground, the apparition disappeared. On her next visit, 18 February, Soubirous said that "the vision" asked her to return to the grotto every day for a fortnight. This period of almost daily visions came to be known as ''la Quinzaine sacrée'', "holy fortnight." Initially, Soubirous's parents, especially her mother, were embarrassed and tried to forbid her to go. The supposed apparition did not identify herself until the seventeenth vision. Although the townspeople who believed she was telling the truth assumed she saw the Virgin Mary, Soubirous never claimed it to be Mary, consistently using the word ''aquerò''. She described the lady as wearing a white veil, a blue girdle and with a yellow rose on each foot – compatible with "a description of any statue of the Virgin in a village church". Soubirous's story caused a sensation with 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. The other contents of Soubirous's reported visions were simple and focused on the need for prayer and penance. On 25 February she 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. On 2 March, at the thirteenth of the alleged apparitions, Soubirous told her family that the lady said that "a chapel should be built and a procession formed". Soubirous's 16th claimed vision, which she stated went on for over an hour, was on 25 March. According to her account, during that visitation, she again asked the woman for her name but the lady just smiled back. She repeated the question three more times and finally heard the lady say, in Gascon Occitan, "I am the Immaculate Conception" (''Qué soï era immaculado councepcioũ'', a phonetic transcription of ''Que soi era immaculada concepcion''). Despite being rigorously interviewed by officials of both the Catholic Church and the French government, she stuck consistently to her story.

Results of her visions

After investigation, Catholic Church authorities confirmed the authenticity of the apparitions in 1862. In the 160 years since Soubirous dug up the spring, 70 cures have been verified by the

Lourdes Medical Bureau The Lourdes Medical Bureau (''Bureau des Constatations Médicales'') is an official medical organization based in Lourdes, France, within the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes. Its function is to transfer medical investigation of apparent cures asso ...

as "inexplicable" – after what the Catholic Church claims are "extremely rigorous scientific and medical examinations" that failed to find any other explanation. The Lourdes Commission that examined Bernadette after the visions ran an intensive analysis on the water and found that, while it had a high mineral content, it contained nothing out of the ordinary that would account for the cures attributed to it. Bernadette said that it was faith and prayer that cured the sick: "One must have faith and pray; the water will have no virtue without faith". Soubirous's request to the local priest to build a chapel at the site of her visions eventually gave rise to a number of chapels and churches at Lourdes. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is now one of the major Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world. One of the churches built at the site, the Basilica of St. Pius X, can accommodate 25,000 people and was dedicated by the future

Pope John XXIII Pope John XXIII ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni XXIII; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, ; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Roman Catholic Church, Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 28 Oc ...

when he was the Papal Nuncio to France. Close to 5 million pilgrims from all over the world visit Lourdes (population of about 15,000) every year to pray and to drink the miraculous water, believing that they obtain from the Lord healing of the body and of the spirit.

Later years

Disliking the attention she was attracting, Bernadette went to the hospice school run by the Sisters of Charity of Nevers where she had learned to read and write. Although she considered joining the Carmelites, her health precluded her entering any of the strict contemplative orders. On 29 July 1866, with 42 other candidates, she took the religious habit of a postulant and joined the Sisters of Charity at their motherhouse at

. Her Mistress of Novices was Sister Marie Therese Vauzou. The Mother Superior at the time gave her the name Marie-Bernarde in honor of her godmother who was named "Bernarde". As Patricia A. McEachern observes, "Bernadette was devoted to Saint Bernard, her patron saint; she copied long texts related to him in notebooks and on bits of paper. The experience of becoming 'Sister Marie-Bernard' marked a turning point for Bernadette as she realized more than ever that the great grace she received from the Queen of Heaven brought with it great responsibilities." Soubirous spent the rest of her brief life at the motherhouse, working as an assistant in the infirmary and later as a sacristan, creating beautiful

embroidery Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. In modern days, embroidery is usually seen ...

for altar cloths and

vestments Vestments are liturgical garments and articles associated primarily with the Christian religion, especially by Eastern Churches, Catholics (of all rites), Anglicans, and Lutherans. Many other groups also make use of liturgical garments; th ...

. Her contemporaries admired her humility and spirit of sacrifice. One day, asked about the apparitions, she replied: Soubirous had followed the development of Lourdes as a pilgrimage

shrine A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon, or similar figure of respect, wherein they ...

while she still lived at Lourdes but was not present for the consecration of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception there in 1876. Unfortunately, Soubirous's childhood bout of "cholera left... ernadettewith severe, chronic asthma, and eventually she contracted

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, ...

of the lungs and bones." For several months prior to her death, she was unable to take an active part in convent life. She eventually died of her long-term illness at the age of 35 on 16 April 1879 (the Wednesday after Easter), while praying the holy rosary. On her deathbed, as she suffered from severe pain and in keeping with the Virgin Mary's admonition of "Penance, Penance, Penance," Bernadette proclaimed that "all this is good for Heaven!" Her final words were, "Blessed Mary, Mother of God, Pray for me". Soubirous' body was laid to rest in the Saint Gildard Convent.

Sainthood

Soubirous was declared blessed on 14 June 1921 by Pope Pius XI. She was canonized by Pius XI on 8 December 1933. In the spring of 2015, the town of Lourdes lobbied for Soubirous's remains to be returned to Lourdes, a move opposed by the city of Nevers.

Exhumations

Bishop Gauthey of Nevers and the Catholic Church exhumed the body of Soubirous on 22 September 1909, in the presence of representatives appointed by the postulators of the cause, two doctors and a sister of the community. They claimed that although the

crucifix A crucifix (from Latin ''cruci fixus'' meaning "(one) fixed to a cross") is a cross with an image of Jesus on it, as distinct from a bare cross. The representation of Jesus himself on the cross is referred to in English as the ''corpus'' (La ...

in her hand and her rosary had both

oxidized Redox (reduction–oxidation, , ) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of substrate change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is the gain of electrons or a ...

, her body appeared

– preserved from

decomposition Decomposition or rot is the process by which dead organic substances are broken down into simpler organic or inorganic matter such as carbon dioxide, water, simple sugars and mineral salts. The process is a part of the nutrient cycle and ...

. This was cited as one of the miracles to support her canonization. They washed and reclothed her body before burial in a new double casket. The church exhumed the corpse a second time on 3 April 1919, on the occasion of the approval of Bernadette's canonization. Dr. Comte, who examined the body noted, "The body is practically mummified, covered with patches of mildew and quite a notable layer of salts, which appear to be calcium salts. … The skin has disappeared in some places, but it is still present on most parts of the body." Relic of bernadette

In 1925, the church exhumed the body for a third time. They took

relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...

s, which were sent to Rome. A precise imprint of the face was molded so that the firm of Pierre Imans in Paris could make a wax mask based on the imprints and on some genuine photos to be placed on her body. This was common practice for relics in France as it was feared that the blackish tinge to the face and the sunken eyes and nose would be viewed as corruption by the public. Imprints of the hands were also taken for the presentation of the body and the making of wax casts. The remains were then placed in a gold and

crystal A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macro ...

reliquary in the Chapel of Saint Bernadette at the motherhouse in

. Three years later in 1928, Doctor Comte published a report on the exhumation of Soubirous in the second issue of the ''Bulletin de I'Association medicale de Notre-Dame de Lourdes''.

"I would have liked to open the left side of the
thorax The thorax or chest is a part of the anatomy of humans, mammals, and other tetrapod animals located between the neck and the abdomen. In insects, crustaceans, and the extinct trilobites, the thorax is one of the three main divisions of the c ...
to take the ribs as relics and then remove the heart which I am certain must have survived. However, as the trunk was slightly supported on the left arm, it would have been rather difficult to try and get at the heart without doing too much noticeable damage. As the Mother Superior had expressed a desire for the Saint's heart to be kept together with the whole body, and as Monsignor the Bishop did not insist, I gave up the idea of opening the left-hand side of the thorax and contented myself with removing the two right ribs which were more accessible. ... What struck me during this examination, of course, was the state of perfect preservation of the skeleton, the fibrous tissues of the muscles (still supple and firm), of the ligaments, and of the skin, and above all the totally unexpected state of the liver after 46 years. One would have thought that this organ, which is basically soft and inclined to crumble, would have decomposed very rapidly or would have hardened to a chalky consistency. Yet, when it was cut it was soft and almost normal in consistency. I pointed this out to those present, remarking that this did not seem to be a natural phenomenon."

Depictions

* In 1909, the French short movie ''Bernadette Soubirous et les Apparitions de Lourdes'', directed by Honoré Le Sablais, is the first attempt to tell with the new cinematographic art the story of Bernadette, according to RAI 3 documentary ''Lourdes. La storia''. * In 1924, the French film ''Le miracle de Lourdes'' directed by Bernard Simon with Pierrette Lugand in the role of Soubirous. * In 1926, the French film ''La vie merveilleuse de Bernadette'' directed by

Georges Pallu Georges Pallu (1869–1948) was a French screenwriter and film director active in the silent and early sound era A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent ...

and starring Alexandra as Soubirous. * In 1935, the Portuguese Georges Pallu directed ''La Vierge du rocher'' ("The Virgin of the Rock") with Micheline Masson in the role of Bernadette. * In 1941, Soubirous's life was given a fictionalized treatment in

Franz Werfel Franz Viktor Werfel (; 10 September 1890 – 26 August 1945) was an Austrian- Bohemian novelist, playwright, and poet whose career spanned World War I, the Interwar period, and World War II. He is primarily known as the author of ''The For ...

's 1941 novel The Song of Bernadette * In 1943, director Henry King adapted Wervel's novel into a film of the same name, starring

Jennifer Jones Jennifer Jones (born Phylis Lee Isley; March 2, 1919 – December 17, 2009), also known as Jennifer Jones Simon, was an American actress and mental health advocate. Over the course of her career that spanned over five decades, she was nominated ...

as Bernadette and the uncredited Linda Darnell as the Immaculate Conception. Jones won the Best Actress Oscar for this portrayal. * On 13 October 1958, the Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse presented ''Song of Bernadette'' on the CBS television network starring Italian-born film and television actress Pier Angeli as Bernadette Soubirous. The cast also featured Marian Seldes and Norman Alden. The program, hosted by Desi Arnaz, was adapted by Ludi Claire from a story by Margaret Gray Blanton. It was directed by both Ralph Alswang and Claudio Guzmán. * In 1961, portrayed Bernadette in ''Bernadette of Lourdes'' (French title: ' or ''Love is Enough'') of Robert Darène. * In 1961, the German TV movie ''Bernadette Soubirous'' directed by

Hans Quest Hans Quest (1915–1997) was a German actor and film director. Selected filmography Director *''Wenn der Vater mit dem Sohne'' (1955) *''The Happy Wanderer (1955 film), The Happy Wanderer'' (1955) *''Charley's Aunt (1956 film), Charley's Aunt'' ( ...

and starring . *

Cristina Galbó Cristina Galbó Sánchez (born 17 January 1950) is a Spanish actress who achieved moderate fame in Europe during the late 1960s and early 1970s, making a name for herself in film mostly for European horror films. In 1967 she appeared in '' Dove ...

portrayed ''Aquella joven de blanco'' (''A Little Maiden in White''), Spain, 1965, directed by

León Klimovsky León Klimovsky (16 October 1906 – 8 April 1996) was an Argentina, Argentine film director, screenwriter and film producer. Biography A trained dentist, born in Buenos Aires, his real passion was always the cinema. He pioneered Argentine cult ...

. * In 1967, a French TV movie ''L'affaire Lourdes'' directed by

Marcel Bluwal Marcel Bluwal (25 May 1925 – 23 October 2021) was a French film director and screenwriter who directed more than 40 films in his career. Selected filmography Director * ''Carom Shots ''Carom Shots'' (french: Carambolages) is a 1963 Fren ...

and starring as Bernadette. * In 1972, the rock band Yes released 'Close to the Edge' where the lyrics for the "I get up" section were based on the visions of Bernadette. * In 1981, Andrea del Boca portrayed Bernadette in an eponymous Argentine television mini-series directed by her father Nicolás del Boca (4 episodes of 1 hour each). * ' in 1988 and ' (''The Passion of Bernadette'') in 1989 by Jean Delannoy, starring Sydney Penny in the lead role. * In 1990, the musical Bernadette (Hughes and Hughes) ran for three and a half weeks at the Dominion Theatre, Tottenham Court Road, London. It was directed by

Ernest Maxin Ernest Maxin (22 August 1923 – 27 September 2018) was a British television producer, director, dancer and choreographer. He is best known for his work in the 1960s and 1970s with Kathy Kirby, Dick Emery, Dave Allen, Les Dawson, and Morec ...

. * In 1990, Fernando Uribe and Steven Hahn directed a short animated film, ''Bernadette: La Princesa de Lourdes'', produced by John Williams and Jorge Gonzalez, available in English since 1991 with the title ''Bernadette – The Princess of Lourdes''. * Angèle Osinsky portrayed Saint Bernadette in the Italian TV movie ', 2000, by . * In 2002, the musical ''Vision'' by Jonathan Smith and Dominic Hartley, depicting the life of Bernadette, debuted in Liverpool. It has been performed in the UK, France, and Nigeria. *In 2007, the Indian film ''Our Lady of Lourdes'' directed by V.R. Gopinath and starring Ajna Noiseux. * In 2009, ''Bernadette'', an opera in three acts by Trevor Jones. First performance 2016 in Gloucestershire, England. * In 2011, the French short movie ''Grotta profunda, les humeurs du gouffre'' directed by Pauline Curnier Jardin and starring Simon Fravega. * In 2011, the French film ' directed by and starring Katia Cuq (). * In 2013, the French TV movie ''Une femme nommée Marie'', directed by

Robert Hossein Robert Hossein (30 December 1927 – 31 December 2020) was a French film actor, director, and writer. He directed the 1982 adaptation of ''Les Misérables'' and appeared in '' Vice and Virtue'', '' Le Casse'', ''Les Uns et les Autres'' and ''V ...

and Dominique Thiel, starring Manon Le Moal. * In 2013, ''Bernadette Kaviyam'', a book published by Geetham Publications, Chennai. Bernadette's life explained with poetry by Poet C.P.Sivarasan, Mangalakuntu. * In 2023, a new musical, '' The Song of Bernadette'', based on Frank Werfel's novel, will premiere at the

Skylight Music Theatre Skylight Music Theatre, known until January 2012 as Skylight Opera Theatre, is a professional light opera and musical theatre company located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded in 1959, Skylight performs in the 358-seat Cabot Theatre at the Broadway T ...

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...

Notes and references

External links

The Body of Saint Bernadette
– Includes reports of her exhumation and photographs of her body and tomb.

including facsimile of notes taken during an interview with Bernadette

*
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soubirous, Bernadette 1844 births 1879 deaths People from Hautes-Pyrénées 19th-century deaths from tuberculosis 19th-century Christian mystics Marian visionaries French Roman Catholic saints Our Lady of Lourdes People from Lourdes 19th-century Christian saints Incorrupt saints Roman Catholic mystics Christian female saints of the Late Modern era Occitan people Beatifications by Pope Pius XI Canonizations by Pope Pius XI Sisters of Charity of Nevers Tuberculosis deaths in France 19th-century French nuns