Saint Bernadette Soubirous (1844-1879) was a French peasant girl born into extreme poverty.

From a young age, she suffered from poor health, including severe asthma.

In 1858, at age 14, Bernadette experienced 18 visions of the Virgin Mary, whom she called “the Lady,” in the Massabielle grotto near Lourdes. The Lady asked for a chapel to be built there, for people to pray, do penance, and wash in a spring that miraculously welled up where Bernadette dug. Bernadette faced intense skepticism and ridicule from authorities but staunchly defended her visions.

The Catholic Church authenticated the visions in 1862, turning Lourdes into a major pilgrimage site known for miraculous healings. Bernadette later joined the Sisters of Charity of Nevers convent, where she lived a humble life of prayer and sacrifice until her death from tuberculosis at age 35. She was canonized in 1933. Her body remains incorrupt.