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Saint Bernadette
Soubirous
  Bernadette
Soubirous is the saint of Lourdes,France. Visionary and
messenger of the Immaculate Conception, she told us the
very words of the Virgin Mary, spoken in the native Basque
tongue of Southern France and Northern Spain.She spoke
words teaching of the merits of prayer, penance, poverty
and church. In the first and most widely recognized Marian
apparition of modern times, a personal message was delivered
also to Bernadette—She would not find happiness in
this world, but only in the next.
She
was to die twenty–one years later in 1879 after a prolonged
and painful illness. She remained hidden in a convent about
300 miles from home, a refuge from the interrogations and
the pilgrims that never ceased seeking her. At thirty–five,
her strong–willed manner gave way to her frail body,
and she finally entered into her eternal happiness.
While
she took with her the knowledge of certain secrets the Virgin
gave her, one secret remained hidden in our presence. The
most spectacular of all the incorruptibles, Bernadette's
miraculously preserved body remained buried in a damp grave
for thirty years until the cause for beatification was taken
up. To this day, the body of Bernadette is a profound source
of inspiration and of mystery surrounding the ways of the
Lord. The face of Bernadette is one of surreal beauty, and
will remain for us always the face that gazed into the eyes
of the Mother of God.
Every year on February 11 is the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes, one of the most famous apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we celebrate Our Lady’s appearance to this young peasant girl, Bernadette, in 1858 in Lourdes, France. Through a set of private revelations, Mary revealed herself to Bernadette as “the Immaculate Conception.”
 Saint Bernadette
Soubirous (WikiPedia)
Our Lady of Lourdes (WikiPedia)
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