February 18 · Catholic · traditional calendar
Bernadette Soubirous
Bernadette Soubirous was the young witness of the apparitions at Lourdes in 1858 and later a Sister of Charity at Nevers. Born January 7, 1844, and dying April 16, 1879, she was 35—not 36—at her death.
- Patronage
- people who are ill, people experiencing poverty
- Era
- 1844–1879
Witness at Lourdes
Bernadette grew up in a family that fell into severe poverty. At age fourteen she reported eighteen apparitions at the grotto of Massabielle, beginning February 11 and ending July 16, 1858. Her testimony became inseparable from the history and message of the Sanctuary of Lourdes.
A hidden religious life
Bernadette left Lourdes in 1866 and made her religious profession with the Sisters of Nevers the following year. Increasing illness confined her to bed near the end of her life. The Sanctuary records her death on April 16, 1879, at age 35, and her canonization in 1933. This corrects the former age while keeping the article focused on documented milestones.
Sources and references
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