Lourdes

Brief History

Our Lady the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared between the 11th & 16th of July to a 14 years old very poor Bernadette Subiorus  in that small town located in the foothills of the Pyrenee mountains of Southern France.   The apparition took place in a small grotto of Massabielle, Bernadette saw a beautiful young girl of 16  dressed in white robe, girded at the waist with a blue ribbon.  She wore upon her head a white vail which gave just a glimpse of hair. Her feet were bare but covered by the last folds of her robe and yellow rose was upon each of them.  She held on her right arm a Rosary of white beads with a chain of gold shining like 2 roses on her feet.  Our Lady asked for penance & prayer for the conversion of sinners. On one of the apparitions Our Lady instructed Bernadette to dig the ground near the grotto.  From that a spring of water came forth which to this day is still floading r that is used for the bath by pilgrims to Lourdes.  On another apparition Our Lady  instructed Bernadette to tell the priests that people should come here in procession and that a Chapel should be built on the site.  On the Feast of the Anounciation Our Lady told Bernadette: "I am the Immaculate Conception." This Dogma has been defined by Pope Pius IX a few years earlier in 1854.  The Liturgical feast of Our Lady of Lourdes was established for February 11 approved by Pope Leo XII & first granted the Diocese of Tarbes in the year 1890.

Our Lady Of Lourdes Novena A Novena is a recitation of prayers & devotions for  a special purpose for 9 consecutive days.

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