Bernadette Soubirous |
Saint Bernadette Soubirous | |
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![]() Saint Bernadette of Lourdes | |
Virgin, Consecrated Religious | |
Born | Bernadeta Sobiros 7 January 1844 |
Died | 16 April 1879 | (aged 35)
Venerated in | |
14 June 1925[1], Rome, by | |
8 December 1933[1], Rome,[1] by | |
Major | Convent of Saint Gilard ( |
16 April 18 February (France, some traditionalist congregations) | |
Bodily illness, |
Saint Bernadette Soubirous (
Soubirous has become best known for the
Despite initial skepticism from some Church authorities, Soubirous's claims were eventually declared "worthy of belief" after a canonical investigation, and the Marian apparition became known as
On 8 December 1933
Marie Bernarde Soubirous was the daughter of François Soubirous (1807–1871), a miller, and Louise (née Casteròt; 1825–1866), a laundress.[3] She was the eldest of nine children—Bernadette, Jean (born and died 1845), Toinette (1846–1892), Jean-Marie (1848–1851), Jean-Marie (1851–1919), Justin (1855–1865), Pierre (1859–1931), Jean (born and died 1864), and a baby named Louise who died soon after her birth (1866).
Soubirous was born on 7 January 1844 and baptized at the local parish church, St. Pierre's, on 9 January, her parents' wedding anniversary. Her godmother was Bernarde Casterot, her mother's sister, a moderately wealthy widow who owned a tavern. Hard times had fallen on France and the family lived in extreme poverty. Soubirous was a sickly child and possibly due to this only measured 4 ft.7in. tall. She contracted