Bernadette Soubirous

In 1970, the convent at Nevers was converted into a pilgrimage centre dedicated to Soubirous, run by volunteers and a few sisters and known as Espace Bernadette Soubirous Nevers.

In the spring of 2015, the town of Lourdes lobbied for Soubirous's remains to be returned to Lourdes, a move opposed by the city of Nevers.

Minor relics

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes has a few bodily relics which traveled in several European dioceses from 2017 to be exposed for the veneration of people. In 2019, a new reliquary was built for the travel of the relics. In 2022, the reliquary visited the United States and the United Kingdom. The relics first traveled to the United States from April to August 2022, visiting around thirty dioceses. In September and October 2022, the relics were exposed in around fifty places in England, Scotland, and Wales, including in the Westminster Cathedral and at the Carfin Lourdes Grotto.

Places

The town of Lourdes where Bernadette grew up and had her visions has become a major international pilgrimage site attracting millions of visitors each year. Several churches and infrastructures were built around the cave where the apparitions occurred, forming together the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes. The sanctuary is reputed for the Lourdes water streaming inside the cave from a spring discovered by Bernadette during the apparitions, which is said to have healing properties, attracting many sick pilgrims. The most recent church in the sanctuary is the St. Bernadette Church, completed in 1988. The sanctuary also has a museum called the St. Bernadette Museum, dedicated to the history of the apparitions. In the city center of Lourdes, pilgrims can visit the house where Bernadette was born and the room where her family was staying at the time of the apparitions.

thumb|250px|[[Lourdes grotto in Canada, near Montreal]]

Hundreds of Lourdes grottos were built all over the world after the apparitions to allow believers to venerate Our Lady of Lourdes in their own countries, specially those who could not afford to make the expensive and long trip to Lourdes. These replicas of the original cave where the apparitions occurred recreate the scenes of the apparitions, usually with a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes in a niche and a statue of Bernadette on her knees and praying or holding a candle.

The Espace Bernadette Soubirous Nevers, is dedicated to her memory. This is where her body has been kept after her death. Her body is now exposed for the veneration of visitors. The city of Nevers also has a museum dedicated to the life of Bernadette, called the "Bernadette Museum".

Numerous churches, shrines and Catholic schools are named after St. Bernadette all over the world. The first church in Europe to be dedicated to her was the Church of Our Lady of Victories and St Bernadette at Ensbury Park, Bournemouth, southwest England: it was under construction at the time of her canonisation and opened in 1934.

Depictions

In 1909, the French short movie Bernadette Soubirous et les Apparitions de Lourdes, directed by Honoré Le Sablais, is the first attempt to tell with the new cinematographic art the story of Bernadette, according to the RAI 3 documentary Lourdes. La storia.
In 1935, the Portuguese Georges Pallu directed La Vierge du rocher ("The Virgin of the Rock") with Micheline Masson in the role of Bernadette.
In 1941, Soubirous's life was given a fictionalized treatment in Franz Werfel's 1941 novel The Song of Bernadette
In 1943, director Henry King and screenwriter George Seaton adapted Werfel's novel into a film of the same name, starring Jennifer Jones as Bernadette and the uncredited Linda Darnell as the Immaculate Conception. Jones won the Best Actress Oscar for this portrayal.
On 13 October 1958, the Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse presented Song of Bernadette on the CBS television network starring Italian-born film and television actress Pier Angeli as Bernadette Soubirous. The cast also featured Marian Seldes and Norman Alden. The program, hosted by Desi Arnaz, was adapted by Ludi Claire from a story by Margaret Gray Blanton. It was directed by both Ralph Alswang and Claudio Guzmán.
In 1961, portrayed Bernadette in Bernadette of Lourdes (French title: ' or Love is Enough) of Robert Darène.
In 1961, the German TV movie Bernadette Soubirous directed by Hans Quest and starring .
Cristina Galbó portrayed Aquella joven de blanco (A Little Maiden in White), Spain, 1965, directed by León Klimovsky.
In 1967, a French TV movie L'affaire Lourdes directed by Marcel Bluwal and starring as Bernadette.
In 1972, the rock band Yes released 'Close to the Edge' where the lyrics for the "I get up" section were based on the visions of Bernadette.
In 1981, Andrea del Boca portrayed Bernadette in an eponymous Argentine television mini-series directed by her father Nicolás del Boca (4 episodes of 1 hour each).
in 1988 and its sequel in 1990 by Jean Delannoy, starring Sydney Penny in the lead role.
In 1990, the musical Bernadette (Hughes and Hughes) ran for three and a half weeks at the Dominion Theatre, Tottenham Court Road, London. It was directed by Ernest Maxin.
In 1990, Fernando Uribe and Steven Hahn directed a short animated film, Bernadette: La Princesa de Lourdes, produced by John Williams and Jorge Gonzalez, available in English since 1991 with the title Bernadette – The Princess of Lourdes.
Angèle Osinsky portrayed Saint Bernadette in the Italian TV movie ', 2000, by .
In 2002, the musical Vision by Jonathan Smith and Dominic Hartley, depicting the life of Bernadette, debuted in Liverpool. It has been performed in the UK, France, and Nigeria.
In 2007, the Indian film Our Lady of Lourdes directed by V.R. Gopinath and starring Ajna Noiseux.
In 2009, Bernadette, an opera in three acts by Trevor Jones. First performance 2016 in Gloucestershire, England.
In 2011, the French short movie Grotta profunda, les humeurs du gouffre directed by Pauline Curnier Jardin and starring Simon Fravega.
In 2011, the French film ' directed by Jean Sagols and starring Katia Cuq ().
In 2013, the French TV movie Une femme nommée Marie, directed by Robert Hossein and Dominique Thiel, starring Manon Le Moal.
In 2013, Bernadette Kaviyam, a book published by Geetham Publications, Chennai. Bernadette's life explained with poetry by Poet C.P.Sivarasan, Mangalakuntu.
In 2015, "Le Coup de Grâce", an original song about St. Bernadette was published and released on YouTube by American songwriter Orv Pibbs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNieSdjLa2s
In 2023, a new musical, The Song of Bernadette, based on Frank Werfel's novel, premiered at the Skylight Music Theatre in Milwaukee.
Bernadette the Musical starring Eyma as Bernadette Soubirous plays at the Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture in Chicago, Illinois, from February 12 to March 15, 2026.

Notes and references

Works cited

External links

The Body of Saint Bernadette – Includes reports of her exhumation and photographs of her body and tomb.
Notes on the Investigation, including facsimile of notes taken during an interview with Bernadette
Catholic Encyclopedia: Notre-Dame de Lourdes
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes
Bio on Catholic.org