St. Bernadette
Saint Bernadette Soubirous (1844–1879) is best known for her visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1858 at Lourdes, a small town in southern France. The apparitions and subsequent miracles at Lourdes have had a profound impact on Catholic devotion, making Lourdes one of the most visited Christian pilgrimage sites in the world. Bernadette’s humility, simplicity, and steadfast faith continue to inspire millions of believers worldwide.
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Birth: Bernadette Soubirous (French: Bernarde-Marie Soubirous) was born on January 7, 1844, in Lourdes, located in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains in southwestern France.
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Parents: She was the first child of François Soubirous (a miller) and Louise Castérot. Bernadette’s family came from peasant stock and struggled with poverty, especially after her father lost stable employment.
Photo Credit: Mac Diarmada
Baptism Font in which St. Bernadette was baptised.
Parish Church, Lourdes
Photo Credit: Mac Diarmada
Montage of St. Bernadette's Life in Lourdes
Baptistry, Parish Church, Lourdes
Photo Credit: Mac Diarmada
Extract from the parish Baptism Register detailing the baptism of Bernadette Soubirous
EARLY LIFE
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Childhood Hardship
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The Soubirous family fell into dire poverty, eventually living in a former jail cell (le Cachot) for lack of other housing.
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Frequent sickness, including cholera epidemics in the region, impacted Bernadette’s health. She suffered from asthma and other respiratory issues her entire life.
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Limited Education
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Bernadette did not have the opportunity for consistent schooling due to the family’s struggles.
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She was often tasked with babysitting and household chores, limiting her time for catechism. At the time of the apparitions, Bernadette had not yet learned to read and write fluently and was preparing for her First Communion.
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Deep Yet Simple Faith
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Despite hardship, Bernadette’s upbringing instilled a straightforward and profound devotion.
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Her humility and simplicity of character would be central in how she responded to the apparitions.​​
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LIFE AS A RELIGIOUS SISTER
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Continuing Investigations and Confirmations
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As crowds grew and alleged miracles occurred at the spring, Church officials launched canonical inquiries.
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In 1862, the local bishop recognized the authenticity of the apparitions, stating that the events bore the hallmarks of supernatural intervention.
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Entrance into Religious Life
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Wishing to remain out of the public eye and devote her life to God, Bernadette joined the Sisters of Charity of Nevers in July 1866.
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She took the religious name Marie-Bernard and served mostly in the infirmary due to her fragile health.
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3. Humility and Service
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Bernadette did not see herself as special. She once remarked, “The Blessed Virgin used me as a broom to remove the dust. When the work is done, the broom is put behind the door again.”
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She lived a quiet life of prayer, caring for the sick, and undergoing harsh physical ailments with remarkable patience.
Photo Credit: Mac Diarmada
Mother House of the Sisters of Charity in Nevers
St. Bernadette as a Religious Sister
DEATH AND CANONISATION
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Worsening Health: Years of chronic asthma and other complications led to bone disease
(tuberculosis of the bone).
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2. Date of Death: April 16, 1879, at the convent of Saint-Gildard in Nevers. She was only 35 years old.
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3. Last Words: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for me, a poor sinner.”
These reflect her lifelong devotion to Blessed Virgin.
The incorrupt body of St. Bernadette Soubirous was photographed sometime between her final exhumation on April 18, 1925, and her placement in the current reliquary in July 18, 1925
​​​​​​​RECOGNITION OF SANCTITY
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Incorrupt Body
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Bernadette’s body was exhumed multiple times (1909, 1919, 1925) and found remarkably well-preserved. She now rests in a glass coffin at the Chapel of Saint Gildard in Nevers.
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Beatification and Canonization
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Beatified: June 14, 1925, by Pope Pius XI.
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Canonized: December 8, 1933, by Pope Pius XI (on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception).
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Photo Credit: Mac Diarmada
Photo Credit: Mac Diarmada
St. Bernadett'es Incorrupt body as it is today in the Chapel in Nevers.
Key Dates in the Life of Bernadette Soubirous
​1843 – January 9: marriage of François Soubirous and Louise Castérot.
1844 – January 7: birth of Bernadette at the Moulin de Boly.
1844 – January 9: baptism of Bernadette.
1846 – birth of her sister Toinette.
1851 – birth of her brother Jean-Marie.
1854 – bankruptcy of the Moulin de Boly run by François Soubirous.
1855 – birth of her brother Justin: Bernadette was affected by the cholera
epidemic that hit Lourdes and its surroundings.
1857 – the Soubirous Family lived at the “Cachot”. Bernadette was a
sheep-keeper at Bartrès and sometimes she helped with service at her
aunt’s cabaret at Lourdes.
1858 – January 17: Bernadette left Bartrès.
1858 – February 11: first apparition at the Grotto of Massabielle.
1858 – June 3: Bernadette made her first communion.
1858 – July 16: last of the 18 Apparitions.
1858 – July 17: Bernadette met a bishop (that of Montpellier) for the first time.
1860 – February 5: confirmation of Bernadette and first meeting with
Mgr. Laurence, Bishop of Tarbes.
1861 – Bernadette’s first photo shoots.
1862 – Bernadette’s health worsened and she received extreme unction.
1863 – Bernadette met the sculptor Joseph Fabisch for the creation of the
statue of Our Lady of Lourdes.
1864 – Bernadette expressed her wish to join the Sisters of Nevers.
1866 – Bernadette was present in the middle of the crowd for the inauguration
of the Crypt; she left Lourdes on July 4.
1867 – Bernadette’s religious profession with the Sisters of Nevers,
where she was entrusted with “the work of prayer”.
1875 – from that year onwards, Bernadette was increasingly ill.
1878 – Bernadette was almost permanently bedridden in her room in Nevers.
1879 – April 16: death of Bernadette
1925 – June 14: beatification of Bernadette
1933 – December 8: canonization of Bernadette
Source: Lourdes Sanctuaire