Every appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a vision and message of hope. What occurred on the 11 February 1858 is comfort for the Church that had suffered persecution under the French Revolution and the Age of Enlightenment.
The apparitions at Lourdes, France to a 14 years of age poor peasant girl Bernadette Soubirous, commenced on 11 February till 16 July 1958. There were 18 visions in all with the message of prayer, penance and the confirmation of the Immaculate Conception which was declared by Blessed Pope Pius IX in 1854. The Grotto at Lourdes has been the site of many miraculous healings.
The state of society moving into the second part of the 19th Century had been severely challenged by several factors including the loss of the Papal States in Rome, Italy where Blessed Pope Pius IX was forced to flee for a period.
France as a nation, especially the Catholic was recovering from the French Revolution and the ideologies that flowed.
Add to that the Industrial Revolution from 1760 and the challenge to ideas through the period of the Enlightenment.
Whilst all these were major challenges to the separation of Church and state, the understanding, translation, and interpretation of the Holy Bible, especially the Creation of man from Genesis.
The long-held view that all humanity was created by a loving God in six days and continues to sustain Creation, hence the Creation | Providence Framework, was being challenged by many opinions and revolutionaries who despised the Roman Catholic Church, through the adoption of Charles Darwin’s evolutionary theory and the Cartesian (named after Descartes) and Darwinian (named after Charles Darwin) Narrative.
Charles Darwin published the ‘Origin of Species’ in 1859.
(NB: For your knowledge, understanding and education, I highly recommend a well-produced series titled ‘Foundations Restored: A Catholic Perspective on Origins’ link below:https://foundationsrestored.com/watch/9/
The First 2 Episodes are for FREE.
Who is Bernadette Soubirous?
Bernadette was born on January 7, 1844, in Lourdes France a town located in South-Western France, in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains. Having been there on three privileged occasions, I can speak from experience that the views are beautiful and peaceful. One of my favourite Marian Apparition sites.
Bernadette was born to François Soubirous (1807–1871), a miller, and Louise (née Casteròt; 1825–1866), a laundress.
Bernadette was the eldest of 9 nine children with 3 of her siblings passing into eternal life soon following their birth.
She was baptised on January 9, 1844, 2 days after her birth and on the anniversary of her parents’ wedding. Bernadette’s godmother was Bernarde Casterot, her mother’s sister, whose name she would take in religious life.
Poverty had overtaken the Soubirous family, and they were forced to leave their mansion house and live in a prison cell called the “Cachot” which literary means ‘dungeon’ in French.
Bernadette suffered many ailments in her childhood and wasn’t very educated.
Bernadette at the age of 14 was graced with a total of 18 visions. Commencing with the first vision on February 11 and the final vision on July 16, 1858, feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Bernadette, throughout her life suffered much from illness and was constantly questioned about the apparitions.
On 29 July 1866, Bernadette joined the Sisters of Charity at the convent at St Gildard, Nevers, where she lived for the rest of her life.
Bernadette entered eternal life on April 16, 1879. She was 35 years of age.
The miracles continued when the body of Bernadette was exhumed on three separate occasions, in 1909, 1919, and finally in 1925.
Her in-corrupt body can be seen in a glass casket in the chapel at the St Gildard Covent. She appears to be asleep awaiting the bodily resurrection where her soul will be reunited with her body.
Bernadette was Beatified by Pope Pius XI in 1925.
She was declared a saint, hence canonised by Pope Pius Xi in 1933.
St Bernadette’s Feast Day is April 16.
St Bernadette is the patron saint of sick persons and of the family and poverty.
What happened at Lourdes, France in 1858?
The Apparitions Begin
On February 11th, 1858, Bernadette had her first vision of ‘a beautiful lady’.
Whilst volunteering with her sister Marie and a friend to gather wood for the family at Massabielle which is a place where rubbish is thrown, 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.
She finally sat down to take her shoes off 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.
Bernadette describes the event in her own words:
“I came back towards the grotto and started taking off my stockings. I had hardly taken off the first stocking when I heard a sound like a gust of wind. Then I turned my head towards the meadow. I saw the trees quite still: I went on taking off my stockings. I heard the same sound again.
As I raised my head to look at the grotto, I saw a Lady dressed in white, wearing a white dress, a blue girdle and a yellow rose on each foot, the same color as the chain of her rosary; the beads of the rosary were white.”
However, the disbelieving people would soon witness a miracle that would dispel their belief and be a place of miraculous healings.
The Miracle of the Spring, which continues to flow today and has been directed to washing and drinking water. It is interesting and inexplicable through human reason and scientific evidence that the source of the spring cannot be traced to an origin such as the river that flows parallel to the apparition site.
Whilst Bernadette was true to her words and these events, many in the towns and beyond, did not believe Bernadette.
The Ninth Apparition
During the he nineth apparition, Bernadette was asked by the Lady to drink from the spring. Yet, Bernadette could not see any spring. Bernadette originally thought that the Lady meant the river.
After confirming that it wasn’t the river and that the spring was beyond her, she began digging with her bare hands in a muddy patch and drank a few drops of muddy water; the lady also asked her to eat some loose grasses.
Many onlookers began to laugh at Bernadette and called her names as her face was covered in mud.
She was labelled a fraud, and many were dismayed.
Following the people leaving somewhat disappointed, soon after a small flow of water began from the ground that Bernadette had just dug.
From this spring water flowed and where people began to flock to. The miraculous healing power of the spring began to circulate from around the neighbouring villages and soon across the country and the known world.
The Catholic Church has officially approved 69 miracles, however many have made claims.
Having taken an organised bath at the spring, I can say from my own experience that there is a sense of warmth following the bath.
Besides the physical healings, there are many, many spiritual healings.
To this day, the Grotto, remains one of the great attractions of Lourdes.
The Apparition continued, the Lady (as referred to by Bernadette) had another request to give to the local Parish Priest. She asked for the building of a Chapel and processions to take place.
Initially, the Parish Priest, Father Dominique Peyramale, did not believe Bernadette and asked for the Lady to reveal Her name.
The Lady would be ready for the challenge.
The Apparition on the Feast of the Annunciation, March 25, 1858.
The answer to Father Peyramale would come on the Feast of the Annunciation, March 25, 1858.
Upon asking the Lady her name, the Lady responded with the kindest and tender words of humility. St Bernadette describes the apparition in the following way:
“With her two arms hanging down, she raised her eyes and looked up at the sky, and it was then that she told me, joining her hands together now at the height of her breast, that she was the Immaculate Conception. Those were the last words she ever said to me.”:
“Que soy era Immaculada Councepciou.”
“I am the Immaculate Conception”
However, Bernadette had no idea what the Lady had identified Herself as due to Bernadette’s lack of catechism and education, she did not know what these words meant.
On her way to tell Father Peyramale, Bernadette repeated the words inwardly to avoid forgetting them before speaking the words to her astonished priest.
The Immaculate Conception was declared earlier by Blessed Pius IX on the 8th of December 1854.
This would also be a challenge to the evolutionary theory that mankind is descended from another creature, hence dispensing with God’s Creation which had held as the main view from the Jewish civilisation.
Final Apparition on Friday, July 16, 1858, Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
On Friday, July 16th Bernadette made one final pilgrimage to the site of the Grotto to see the Lady for the last time on earth.
During the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin, the Virgin Mary made several revelations to Bernadette. She asked Bernadette to do penance and pray for sinners. She also told her one secret she was not to reveal to anyone and this she never did.
Some of the Other Apparitions are set out below:
On 18th February the Lady stated to Bernadette the following:
“I do not promise to make you happy in this life but in the next”
“Would you be kind enough to come here for a fortnight?”
On the 19th of February commences the Origin of the Blessed Lighted Candles as Bernadette arrived at the Grotto with a Blessed candle in Hand.
Bernadette was given private secrets pertaining to her on the Apparition that occurred on the 23 February 1858 and requests Penance for Sinners on the 24 February 1858.
On the 7th of April 1858 the pilgrims that were present witness a candle that came in contact with Bernadette’s hand and later examined by Dr. Douzous and declared a miracle.
One ares of importance to highlight is that whilst the Lady, who we now know to be the Blessed Virgin Mary, prayed the Rosary with Bernadette, She never prayed the Hail Mary (as this would be praying to Herself) and the Our Father (as She is sinless and Immaculately Conceived – free from Original or any stain of Sin) She would not need to ask for ‘forgive us our trespasses’.
The only prayer that the Blessed Virgin Mary would join in is the Glory Be.
The Visions and Messages at Lourdes, France are declared authentic
Following the events of the apparitions, a papal investigation was founded.
After long deliberation and careful examination of the evidence, they were declared as authentic.
The Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes is 11 February.
Our Lady of Lourdes, Pray for Us.
St Bernadette, Pray for Us.