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Lourdes France is one of the most famous Marian apparition sites in history. It is a highly pilgrimized site where thousands of people visit every year in search of miracles, prayer, healing etc. It's history as a recognized Marian site started in 1858 when Bernadette Soubouris a fourteen year old girl at the time witnessed eighteen Marian apparitions at the Massabielle grotto in the time period between February 11th to April 7, 1885. The events that occured during this time changed Bernadette's life who in her later years became a canonized saint and paved the history of Lourdes as an authentic Marian apparition site.
The first apparition occured on February 11, 1885 when Bernadette accompanied by her sisted Toinette and friend Jeanne Abadie went to the Massabielle groto in search of firewood. Bernadette was left alone and this is when she reported hearing a loud noise and seeing a moving bush although it was not windy that day. She then reported seeing a golden cloud and a young beautiful lady. At this sight Bernadette immediately fell to her knees and prayed the Rosary as the lady watched in quiet approval. Once Bernadette finished the Rosary the lady disappeared. When asked to describe the apparition Bernadette described the woman as being young, wearing a white robe and veil, with yellow roses on her feet and holding a Rosary in her right hand. Although many associated the apparition with the Virgin Mary Bernadette referred to her as aquero which means that or her. As early as Mary's third apparition on February 18th did Bernadette ask her to reveal her name but she refused by only smiling quietly as a reply. This did not stop Bernadette from fulfilling aqueros request for her to come visit the grotto for fifteen days straight in return for happiness in her afterlife as a reward. The events that took place between the time period of February 18th to April 7th all are important to the history of Lourdes as an apparition site but the ones that are the most critical are those that occurred on February 25th and March 25,1858. The Eighteen Apparitions |
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On February 25, 1858 which is the ninth Marian apparition Bernadette witnessed, Bernadette went to the grotto as usual knelt down on a rock and began to pray the Rosary. She then fell into ecstasy and began crawling to the back of the grotto on her hands and knees as a crowd of about four hundred onlookers watched as Bernadette began to dig a hole in the ground uncovering some muddy water. She tried twice to drink it with no success and finally succeeded on her third attempt. Then she proceeded to smear the muddy water on her face. The crowd thought she was insane but when asked to explain her actions she explained that aquero had instructed her to drink and wash herself in it. That night a group of devout onlookers who had witnessed the incident dug deeper in the same spot and uncovered an underground spring. It's waters were said to have healing powers and many miraculous healings then and till this day are attributed to it.
Word of the apparitions to Bernadette at the grotto spread fast and hundreds of onlookers would gather there. This caused Bernadette to be scrutinized and questioned on a daily basis. She was especially doudted by the cure of the parish Dominique Peyramale who instructed her to ask the lady to identify herself as a reply to Bernadette's request that a chapel be built at the grotto, which aquero had appointed as her mission on March 2nd. Bernadette had asked aquero her name twice on two different days with no success but on March 25th, Bernadette persisted and Aquero finally identified herself as the Immaculate Conception which refers to the Virgin Mary's preservation from original sin since the time of her conception. When Bernadette revealed this to Peyramale he was shocked because it was impossible for the illiterate Bernadette to know about the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception which was made an official dogma of the Roman Catholic Church in 1854. This revelation is the most important factor in the history of Lourdes as a Marian apparition site because Mary had confirmed her identity which led to the recognition by the Vatican as Lourdes being an official miracle. For more info, click on this site |
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