St. Bernadette with Rosary 1861 – Exclusive Photo Restoration – 4 Sizes – Catholic Art – Catholic Gift

St. Bernadette of Lourdes (Marie-Bernarde Soubirous, 1844-1879) was the oldest of 9 children in a very poor family. She suffered poor health because of the living conditions, but nonetheless had a lively, spontaneous, and kind-hearted personality. Incidentally, she was short, only 4' 7", five inches shorter than Mother Teresa of Calcutta. A faithful girl, The Virgin Mary appeared to her 18 times when she was 14, from February 11 to July 16, 1858. On the second visit, Bernadette threw holy water on Mary, saying, "If you are from God, you will stay; if you are not, you will leave." Mary laughed.Her parents, the local clergy and the civil authorities all pushed back against her reports of the visions. Yet Bernadette said, "I was instructed to tell you, not to make you believe." When asked who the woman was, Bernadette-who would not learn to read for another two years-said the lady told her, "I am the Immaculate Conception." That was a theological concept priests knew but not the peasantry