Bernadette Soubirous
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Saint Bernadette (born Maria-Bernada Sobirós (Marie-Bernarde Soubirous)); 7 January 1844 – 16 April 1879), was a miller's daughter from the town of Lourdes in southern France. From 11 February to 16 July 1858, she reported 18 apparitions of "a small young lady." Despite initial skepticism from the Catholic Church, these claims were eventually declared to be worthy of belief after a canonical investigation, and the apparition is known as Our Lady of Lourdes. After her death, Bernadette's body reportedly remained incorrupt, and the shrine at Lourdes went on to become a major site for pilgrimage, attracting millions of Christians of all denominations each year. On 8 December 1933, she was canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church; her Feast Day is celebrated on 16 April. She has been considered a Christian mystic (see Christian mysticism).
