Saint Bernadette

Mary Appears to Burnadette (http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/images/lourdes/bernadette-mary-painting.jpg)

On February 18th we celebrate the wonderful life of Saint Bernadette. She was born in 1844 and was raised in Lourdes, France. at only fourteen years of age, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to her eighteen times. She appeared to her in a grotto while Bernadette was gathering fire wood.

At the grotto Mary spoke to her in the native Basque tongue of Southern France and Northern Spain. There in that very spot Mary asked that Bernadette pray the rosary with her. Bernadette obeyed and then she asked that a chapel be built near the grotto. Mary also asked Bernadette to tell the world that people must do penance for their sins and to pray.

She spoke words teaching of the merits of prayer, penance, poverty and church. Many people would follow Bernadette hoping to see the Blessed Virgin, but only Bernadette could see her. Then Mary asked Bernadette to scrape the earth and then miraculously a spring began to flow from the ground. At that very spring, to this day, people have been cured from any kind of illnesses.

Saint Burnadette (http://www.catholicpilgrims.com/lourdes/bb_bernadette_body.htm)

Then Bernadette became seriously ill and realized that the spring of healing was for her. She died in 1879 at the age of thirty-five and was canonized in 1933 by Pope Pius XI. "Bernadette's miraculously preserved body remained buried in a damp grave for thirty years until the cause for beatification was taken up." A crystal coffin was made for Saint Bernadette's body. She was placed in a chapel in the Church of St. Gildard at the convent in Nevers. She has remained undisturbed and on view in this chapel since August 3, 1925.

Bernadette gave hope and faith to so many people especially with an illness. She shows God's mercy and that he really does care about us. People take a pilgrimage to Lourdes in hope of being healed or to just pray. Bernadette showed courage by coming back to the grotto to pray with Mary, as we all should.