(coming soon)
--St. Bernadette
Marie-Bernarde Soubirous – later and better known as St. Bernadette – was born in Lourdes in 1844. At the age of 14, she reported seeing 18 apparitions of “a Lady.” At age 22 she moved from Lourdes to Nevers, residing at the Sisters of Charity Convent.
Following some initial skepticism on the part of the Roman Catholic Church, her claims of visions were believed and the apparition who had appeared to her came to be known as “Our Lady of Lourdes.” After her death, Lourdes became a major pilgrimage destination.
Perhaps the most amazing thing about the story of Bernadette has to do with the apparent fact that her body did not decompose normally after death. Her corps was exhumed in 1909, 30 years after she was buried, and those present (including two medical doctors) stated that the remains had not decomposed appreciably. The body was disinterred again in 1919, following which it was placed in a gold and silver reliquary which is on public view at the Chapel of St. Bernadette in Nevers.
