Franciscan Saint | St Bernadette Soubirous

Saint Bernadette Soubirous was the eldest child of an extremely poor miller in Lourdes, France, and her family lived in the basement of a dilapidated building. Frail and often ill, she suffered from asthma from an early age and had not even made her First Holy Communion.

In 1858, when she was 14, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to her in a cave above the banks of the Gave River near Lourdes. During these encounters, 18 apparitions in all, Mary asked her to pray for sinners and have a chapel built on the site of the visions. This site later became the famous Marian shrine at Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, where many miraculous healings have been reported through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Despite her extraordinary experiences, Bernadette’s life remained far from easy. Alternately believed and ridiculed for her visions, she eventually sought refuge with the Sisters of Charity at Nevers. She joined the order in 1866 and found peace in the simplicity and devotion of convent life. The illnesses that had plagued her since childhood worsened over time, and she died at the age of 35 in 1879.

Reflection: Do I seek the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary in my daily struggles?