In 1858 in a grotto of Massabielle, near Lourdes in southern France, Our Lady appeared. 18 times to Bernadette Soubirous a young peasant girl. She revealed herself as the Immaculate Conception, asked that a chapel be built on the site of this vision and told the girl to drink from the fountain in the grotto. No fountain was to be seen, and when Bernadette dug at the spot designated by Our Lady, a spring began to flow.
The water from this is still flowing and had shown to have remarkable healing powers, though it contains no curative properties that science can identify.
Bernadette was born on January 7th 1844, and was baptized the next day by the Abbe Forgues in the old parish church, being given the name Marie Bernadette. |
