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The Story of St Bernadette and our Lady of Lourdes #
Yes, dear Mother, your heart is so full of love for us that you came down to earth to appear to a poor, weak child and convey certain things to her despite her great unworthiness. How humbled she is. You, the Queen of Heaven and Earth, chose to use what is weakest in the eyes of men.
St. Bernadette, 12th May 1866 1
Like many great saints, Bernadette Soubirous shows us how God chooses the weak and humble. Born 7th January 1844 in Lourdes, a small rural town in south-west France, she was the eldest daughter of François and Louise Soubirous. She had 8 siblings, only 3 of which survived beyond the age of 10.
Her family were very poor, all living in one room—an old police cell which Bernadette calls “le cachot”. They often went without food. As a result, she had poor health growing up and was illiterate.
Bernadette was not an impressive person. But at age 14, she experienced 18 apparitions from our Lady of Lourdes which would change her life forever.
18 Apparitions to St Bernadette #
Thursday 11th February 1858 #
On a cold winter day, Bernadette went into the countryside to collect wood with her sister, Marie, and her friend, Jeanne. They walked along a canal and eventually came to what was locally called the Massabielle grotto. Marie and Jeanne crossed to the other side, but Bernadette hesitated because she didn’t want her shoes to get wet. So instead, she sat down to take off her stockings.
Scarcely had I removed my first stocking, when I heard a noise like a sudden gust of wind. When I turned my head toward the prairie, I saw that the trees were not swaying at all, so I began removing my stockings again. I heard the same noise again. When I raised my head and looked at the Grotto, I saw a Lady in white. She was wearing a white gown with a blue sash, a white veil and a golden rose on each foot, the same color as the chain of her Rosary, which had white beads. She was surrounded with white light, but it was not a blinding light. She had blue eyes.
St. Bernadette1
The Lady stood within a niche in the rock. On her right arm was a rosary with a gold chain and white beads. Bernadette tried to make the sign of the cross but was unable. The Lady made a beautiful sign of the cross, and then Bernadette recited the rosary, whilst the Lady passed the beads through her fingers.
After praying, the Lady beamed at her and beckoned for her to come closer. In her heart, Bernadette felt she was like her mother, but she was too frightened to come. The Lady bowed, and then left. Bernadette reluctantly told Marie and Jeanne what happened, describing the Lady as “Aquero”, which means “the one”. They then told her parents.
Sunday 14th February 1858 #
Her father, François, gave Bernadette permission to go back. She went with several other girls and took some holy water. When they got there, they all began to pray the rosary. During the 1st decade, Aquero appeared again.
Bernadette threw the holy water at her, saying: “If you come from God, stay. If you don’t, go away." The more she sprinkled, the more she smiled. Bernadette knelt and went into a deep trance. Scared, some of her friends ran to get help. Bernadette was carried back whilst the apparition continued.
Thursday 18th February 1858 #
Bernadette went again with some adults and took pen and ink to ask Aquero her name. During the rosary, she appeared again. Bernadette asked her name. She did not give it. Instead, she asked:
“Boulet aoue era gracia de bié aci penden quinze dias?”
Our Lady of Lourdes, speaking in Gascon, Bernadette’s local language.
This means: “would you be so gracious to come her for fifteen days?”. In 19th century France, provincial dialects like Gascon were considered ”patois”–a negative word meaning ”rough speech”. Bernadette was astonished that Aquero spoke in her language and with such respect. A poor, illiterate, 14-year-old, Gascon girl would never have been spoken to like this before.
Bernadette replied that she would ask her parent’s permission and then she would come. Aquero said that she did not promise to make her happy in this world, but in the next, and asked her to tell the priests that a chapel should be built at the grotto.
Friday 19th February 1858 #
Bernadette and 11 others went to the grotto with candles. Aquero thanked her for coming. She then heard terrifying, evil voices coming from the back of the grotto, telling her to leave. Aquero raised her eyes, frowned towards the voices, and they became silent.
She told Bernadette that she had a secret to reveal to her and asked that they leave the candles at the grotto.
Saturday 20th February 1858 #
The news was beginning to travel fast. 30 people were at the grotto. In the apparition, Aquero taught Bernadette a prayer word-for-word. She prayed it every day for the rest of her life, never telling anyone. Around this time, many begin to believe that Aquero was Mary.
Sunday 21st February 1858 #
Hundreds came and knelt by the grotto. Bernadette described Aquero as being brighter than the Sun and having roses brighter than gold on her bare feet. Aquero looked over the crowd with sadness and told Bernadette to “pray for sinners”.
During the apparition, a doctor called Dozous took Bernadette’s pulse and finds that it is normal. After the apparition, they interrogate Bernadette and her father, François, promise them that she’ll never go back to the grotto.
Tuesday 23rd February 1858 #
Despite this, she goes back. This time, over 150 people came. Aquero prayed with Bernadette for an hour and revealed three secrets to her. To this day, no one knows what they were.
Wednesday 24th February 1858 #
About 200 people came. Aquero prayed with Bernadette for an hour. She spoke three words, slowly and sadly:
”Repentance. Repentance. Repentance”.
Our Lady of Lourdes.
As she spoke these words, Bernadette said them too, and many heard her. At Aquero’s request, she then ate some grass growing below the grotto and kissed the ground in humility for their pride.
Thursday 25th February 1858 #
Despite cold winter weather, over 300 people came. Aquero told Bernadette to drink and wash from the spring.
“I went to the place she showed me, but all I saw was a tiny bit of muddy water. There was so little of it that I was hardly able to get any of it in my hands.”
St. Bernadette1
Bernadette threw the water away three times, but then washed her face in it. She became covered in mud. The people who were stood watching jeered at her.
She came back that afternoon to find water bubbling from where she had scooped up the mud. Soon, there was a gushing stream of clear water. It remains to this day!
Saturday 27th February 1858 #
About 800 people came. Bernadette repeats her acts of penance by eating some of the grass and kissing the ground.
Sunday 28th February 1858 #
Over 1500 people go with Bernadette. After the apparition, she is interrogated for a 3rd time, but vows to not give up.
Monday 1st March 1858 #
During the apparition, Aquero stood on top off a rosebush. Onlookers climbed over the grotto, disturbing the bush so that Bernadette feared she would fall; but Aquero just smiled at everyone. To Bernadette, she always seemed sorry to leave everyone.
When Aquero had left, a heavily pregnant woman called Catherine Latapie washed two of her paralyzed fingers in the spring and was immediately healed. This became the first approved miracle of Lourdes. She then walked 9km home and gave birth the next day!
Tuesday 2nd March 1858 #
Aquero pleas with Bernadette for the priests to come in procession and build a chapel at the grotto. She goes straight to Fr. Peyramale, but he accuses her of lying about the apparitions.
“I needed tenacity. Father paced up and down saying, “A chapel, A chapel! Who will pay for it? And if your Lady wants processions, she should send you to the Bishop, not to me. You don’t even know her name. Ridiculous."”
St. Bernadette.
Wednesday 3rd March 1858 #
Aquero came in the evening, stood above the rosebush. She greeted Bernadette, bowed, and then made the sign of the Cross. Bernadette asked for her name. Aquero did not answer, only smiling.
Thursday 4th March 1858 #
Over 8000 people gathered around the grotto. Bernadette prayed and spoke with Aquero under the roof of the grotto for an hour. She asked her name again. Aquero only smiled. Afterwards, Bernadette again went to Fr. Peyramale. In a tone so soft, he told her: ““If I knew it was the Blessed Virgin, I would do all she desires."”
Thursday 25th March 1858 #
Bernadette was woken in the middle of the night with an inner insistence to go to the grotto. Aquero was already there, waiting for her. Bernadette knelt down and they said the rosary together. She told Aquero she loved her and how happy she was to see her again.
Desperate, Bernadette asked her name four times. Finally, she answered. Press play to hear Aquero’s exact reply:
Until that moment, her two arms had been extended, but now she folded her hands together at her breast, and, raising her eyes to heaven, she said: “Que soy era Immaculada Conceptiou”. These were the last words she said to me”.
St Bernadette1, in English, this translate to: “I am the Immaculate Conception”.
Just four years earlier, Pope Pius IX had infallibly declared that Mary was immaculately conceived. Bernadette, a poor, illiterate girl, had never heard this before and did not know what it meant. The only way she could remember it, whilst immediately going to tell Fr. Peyramale, was by repeating it over and over again.
Fr. Peyramale looked deathly pale when Bernadette told her. A man of deep faith, that very night, he wrote to his bishop with many tears. This is how the Sanctuary of our Lady of Lourdes began.
Wednesday 7th April 1858 #
The apparition began around 5am and included the miracle of the candle, witnessed by hundreds. Whilst in a deep trance, Bernadette joined her hands, so that they were positioned above the flame of her candle. She remained in this position for about 15 minutes, the flame leaving no marks and her showing no sign of pain.
When Our Lady left, I noticed Doctor Dozous beside me. He took my lighted candle and placed it under my left hand. I snatched my hand away. “Sir, you are burning me,” I cried. Only later did I learn that during Mary’s visit, the flame of my candle had engulfed the fingers and palm of my left hand. To the doctor’s amazement, neither fingers nor palm had burned.
St Bernadette1
Friday 16th July 1858 #
From June, the police began fining visitors and guards blocked the entrance to the grotto. But Bernadette felt the familiar compulsion to go to the grotto. Entering by a road from the other side of the river, she saw Our Lady of Lourdes for the last time. She didn’t say anything, but to Bernadette, she looked more beautiful than she had ever seen.
Church Approval #
As our Lady of Lourdes had promised. Bernadette did not have an easy life after the apparitions. She was questioned by the police, threatened with prison and shunned by the local people. Many thought she was making it up, including, at first, her own family!
Shortly after the apparitions, the local bishop opened an investigation. Due the amount of evidence, this took over 2 years, and included many interviews with Bernadette and those who claimed to have received miracles. Finally, in January 1862, the conclusion came:
We judge that the Immaculate Mary, Mother of God, did in actual fact appear to Bernadette Soubirous on the 11th February, 1858, and on the days following, to the number of 18 times.
Bertrand Severe Laurence, Bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes, 1862 2
Since then, our Lady of Lourdes has become one of the most visited Marian shrines in the world, attracting millions of pilgrims every year.
Miracles #
From the time of Bernadette, thousands have claimed to receive miracles at Lourdes. The Catholic Church rigorously test these claims with the help of scientists.3 As of 2026, there have been 72 verified miracles. These include healing from paralysis, tuberculosis, spinal pain and blindness.
Modern scientists continue to study the miracles of Lourdes. If you think science is incompatible with faith, then their conclusions may surprise you:
“Uncanny and weird, the cures are currently beyond our understanding but still impressive, incredibly effective, and awaiting a scientific explanation.”
Bernard François, emeritus professor of medicine, Université Claude Bernard, 2014 4
Our Lady of Lourdes Sanctuary #
The Message of Lourdes #
As I wrote this article, I prayed to St Bernadette for help. I felt in my heart that to conclude, I should tell you the meaning of all this. Our Lady of Lourdes asked Bernadette, all those years ago, to graciously come to the grotto for 15 days. She asks us too, today, to set aside time to come to her.
The message of Lourdes is one of repentance. As we come to Mary, she will again teach us the way of prayer and holiness. She will lead us to her Son, Jesus.
Sources: #
1 McEachern, P.A., 2010. A Holy Life: The Writings of St. Bernadette. Ignatius Press.
2 Fletcher, A.H.S., 1958. Lourdes, 1858 to 1957. Central African Journal of Medicine, 4(10), pp.446-450.
3 Dowling, S.J., 1984. Lourdes cures and their medical assessment. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 77(8), pp.634-638.
4 François, B., Sternberg, E.M. and Fee, E., 2014. The Lourdes medical cures revisited. Journal of the history of medicine and allied sciences, 69(1), pp.135-162.