Our Lady of Lourdes
Feast Day: February 11
Virgin Mary's apparitions at Lourdes established a healing shrine for all.
Patronage
Sick people, France, sick children, faith, healing, miracles
Virtues & Traits
Biography
Our Lady of Lourdes refers to the Blessed Virgin Mary's apparitions to Bernadette Soubirous, a 14-year-old girl in Lourdes, France, between February 11 and July 16, 1858. The Virgin appeared eighteen times to Bernadette in the grotto of Massabielle, calling herself 'The Immaculate Conception.' She requested a chapel be built and that processions occur. The apparitions led to the discovery of a miraculous spring with documented healing properties. The Church approved the apparitions in 1862, and Lourdes became one of Catholicism's most significant pilgrimage sites, attracting millions annually. Numerous verified miracles of physical healing have occurred through the Virgin's intercession at Lourdes. The sanctuary emphasizes prayer, penance, and faith rather than medical treatment alone. Our Lady of Lourdes represents Mary's maternal care for humanity, her special concern for the sick and suffering, and the Church's confidence in supernatural healing and divine providence through the Virgin's powerful intercession.