Saint Bernadette Soubirous was a simple girl from a poor family in France. She was born in 1844 in the small town of Lourdes. Her full name was Marie-Bernarde Soubirous. Most people called her Bernadette. She later became known as Saint Bernadette.

She is best known because she saw the Virgin Mary. These visions happened in 1858, when Bernadette was only 14 years old. She said the “beautiful lady” appeared to her in a cave near the town. The lady spoke with her and gave her a message.

Many people did not believe Bernadette at first. Some thought she was lying. Others thought she was confused or sick. But she stayed firm and told her story again and again.

The lady asked Bernadette to pray and to do penance. She also asked for a chapel to be built at the place where she appeared. When asked her name, the lady said, “I am the Immaculate Conception.” Bernadette did not know what this meant.

Later, people believed that this was truly Mary, the mother of Jesus. The Church looked into it and agreed that the story was true. Many people began to visit Lourdes to pray.

Bernadette became known around the world. Even though she never wanted fame, her story touched many people. She is remembered as a quiet and faithful girl who listened to Mary and trusted God.

Bernadette was born into a large family. She was the oldest of nine children. Her father was a miller, but the family became very poor. At one point, they lived in an old jail cell because they had no other place to go.

She was often sick. She had asthma and other health problems. She missed a lot of school. Because of this, she had trouble reading and writing. She was small for her age and weak.

Even though life was hard, Bernadette was cheerful and kind. She helped her mother with chores. She took care of her younger siblings. She also tried to learn her prayers, even though it was difficult for her.

Bernadette’s family went to Mass and prayed together. Her faith was simple and strong. She trusted God even when things were hard.

When she was a teenager, she went with her sister and a friend to gather firewood. That is when she saw the first vision. This moment changed her life.

Bernadette saw the lady for the first time on February 11, 1858. It happened near a place called the Grotto of Massabielle. The lady wore white and had a blue sash. She had roses on her feet and held a rosary.

The lady made the sign of the cross and prayed the rosary with Bernadette. She did not speak at first. Bernadette was afraid, but she kept coming back.

The lady appeared 18 times over the next few weeks. She spoke kindly to Bernadette and asked her to pray for sinners. She told her to drink from a spring in the ground. Bernadette dug in the dirt, and water began to flow.

The water from the spring is still there today. Many people believe it has brought healing to the sick.

During one of the visits, the lady told Bernadette to ask the priests to build a chapel at the grotto. The priests did not believe her at first.

When Bernadette asked for the lady’s name, the answer was strange to her. The lady said, “I am the Immaculate Conception.” Bernadette had never heard this phrase before. She repeated it over and over so she would not forget.

This helped convince the local priest that Bernadette was telling the truth. Only a few years earlier, the Church had said that Mary was conceived without sin. Bernadette did not know this teaching, so people believed she could not have made it up.

Read more about Our Lady of Lourdes here.

After the apparitions, people came from far away to see Bernadette. Some wanted to hear her story. Others wanted her to perform miracles. But Bernadette never claimed to be special. She said she was just the messenger.

She did not want to be the center of attention. Her health was still poor. She asked to be left alone.

When she was 22, Bernadette joined the Sisters of Charity in Nevers. She became a nun and lived quietly in the convent. She worked in the infirmary and helped care for the sick.

She did not speak often about the apparitions. She wanted to serve God in a quiet way. She once said, “The Virgin used me like a broom. When the work is done, the broom is put behind the door.”

She suffered much during her life in the convent. She had bone disease and painful sores. She often had trouble breathing. But she never complained. She offered her pain to God and stayed joyful.

She died in 1879 at the age of 35. Her last words were, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for me, a poor sinner.”

After the visions, the Church began to study what had happened. Many people had seen Bernadette visit the grotto. Some had seen miracles or felt peace there.

In 1862, the bishop said the apparitions were true. A chapel was built, just as the lady had asked. Later, more buildings were added. Lourdes became a large place for prayer and healing.

Thousands of people started to visit Lourdes each year. Today, millions come from all over the world. Many are sick and hope to be healed. Others come to pray and find peace.

Many healings have happened at Lourdes. The Church has studied them carefully. Some have no medical explanation.

Lourdes is now one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in the world. Bernadette’s simple faith helped make that possible.

Bernadette was declared blessed by the Church in 1925. She was canonized as a saint in 1933 by Pope Pius XI.

Her body was found to be well preserved many years after her death. It now rests in a glass coffin at the convent in Nevers. Many people visit her tomb and pray there.

Her feast day is April 16, the day she died. In France, some also remember her on February 18, the day Mary promised to make her happy in the next life.

Saint Bernadette is the patron saint of the sick, of people ridiculed for their faith, and of those who are poor. She is also the patron of shepherds and of Lourdes itself.

She is loved by many because she was simple, honest, and faithful. She never tried to be important. She only wanted to do what God asked of her.

Her story reminds us that God speaks to the humble. Even a poor, sick girl can do great things when she trusts Him.

Listening for God

Saint Bernadette Soubirous didn’t have wealth, education, or health, but she had something greater: a deep awareness of God’s presence. Through quiet prayer, she grew spiritually awake—and was ready when Mary appeared to her at Lourdes.

Like Bernadette, we can grow in spiritual awareness by setting aside time for silence and prayer each day. When we do, we begin to notice God at work in the ordinary, and we become ready for the extraordinary.