Lourdes, France has drawn pilgrims since Mary appeared in 1858 to shepherdess Bernadette Soubirous. This year is the 150th anniversary of those apparitions.
Bernadette was actually beaten by her mother and forbidden to go to the cave where she had had her first vision. Her family certainly didn’t believe her. She was initially shunned and thought to have gone mad. Bernadette described Mary as wearing a white flowing robe with a blue sash. Mary had yellow roses on her bare feet and was the same height as Bernadette.
Mary told the shepherdess to dig where there was a small muddy puddle. A spring gushed forth from this same spot. This spring was not an itsy trickle of water. 100,000 liters of water gush from it daily. There have been small percentage unexplainable cures from people who have bathed in the waters. Of course this lovely parable has been commercialized by our 21st century’s money making machine. One can buy a liter of the water for 160 dollars online!
Bernadette was visited by Mary on 18 occasions. It is interesting to note that this 14 year old child had been barely educated. She spoke a local dialect yet repeated words from Mary that she didn’t or couldn’t have understood.
I myself am not religious. Don’t tell my catholic Grandmother! But I am curious. Maybe I’ll visit the grotto too someday. i can join the woman in this last vintage postcard who are gathering the 'miraculous' waters at this fountain.
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