Our Lady of Lourdes

Our Lady of Lourdes refers to the Marian apparitions reported in 1858 by Saint Bernadette Soubirous, a poor fourteen-year-old girl from Lourdes, France. Between February 11 and July 16 of that year, Bernadette experienced eighteen apparitions of a “beautiful lady” at the grotto of Massabielle. The Lady appeared clothed in white with a blue sash and a rosary on her arm, speaking to Bernadette with gentleness and simplicity. These events occurred during a time of deep poverty and religious indifference in France, making the message especially striking.

During the apparitions, the Lady called Bernadette to prayer, penance, and conversion for sinners. She asked that a chapel be built at the grotto and that people come there in procession. One of the most significant moments came when Bernadette was instructed to dig in the ground, revealing a spring of water. This spring, initially unimpressive, soon became known for numerous healings, many of which were carefully investigated by the Church and medical authorities.

In the sixteenth apparition, the Lady revealed her identity by saying, “I am the Immaculate Conception.” This declaration deeply moved the Church, as the dogma of the Immaculate Conception had been officially defined only four years earlier, in 1854. Bernadette herself, uneducated and unfamiliar with theological language, could not have invented such a title, which strengthened the credibility of her testimony.

Today, Lourdes is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the world, especially for the sick and suffering. Millions of pilgrims visit each year to pray, bathe in the waters, and seek spiritual and physical healing. Our Lady of Lourdes is honoured as a sign of Mary’s compassion for the poor, the sick, and the forgotten, reminding the faithful that God’s grace is often revealed through humility, faith, and trust in Him.