Our Lady of Lourdes | First Apparition. There came out of the interior of the grotto a golden coloured cloud, and soon after a Lady, young and beautiful, came and placed herself at the entrance of the opening, above the rose bush. She looked at me immediately, smiled at me and signed to me to advance, as if She had

Our Lady of Lourdes | Second Apparition. Bernadette armed herself with a small phial of Holy Water and left for the Grotto. As soon as she arrived at the grotto, she fell to her knees opposite the niche, and began to pray. Almost immediately, she exclaimed - "There She is! There She is!" Bernadette then fell into ecstasy;

Our Lady of Lourdes | Third Apparition. Arriving at the Grotto, Bernadette ran on ahead. By the time the two older ladies caught up with her, she was already on her knees in prayer, her Rosary in her hand. The candle was lit and the two women knelt also. After a few minutes, Bernadette exclaimed "She comes! Here She is!"

Our Lady of Lourdes | Fourth Apparition. Hearing Bernadette relate what had occurred, her parents were distressed - not least of all by the strange promise made by the mysterious Lady. Until now, they had thought this was simply the product of a child's imagination... But now the Lady had spoken - and what words! If this was a real

Our Lady of Lourdes | Fifth Apparition. By now the entire town of Lourdes knew what was reported to be happening at the Grotto of Massabieille; only a few people, however, had actually seen Bernadette in ecstasy before the vision in the niche. By the morning of the fifth apparition, the people present numbered several hundred, whereas previously there had

Our Lady of Lourdes | Sixth Apparition. In Lourdes there was an establishment called the Saint John's Club. Here, the local free-thinkers would gather and discuss issues of the day, often forming conclusions on events. One such issue was the events at Massabieille. The members of the club had already made a conclusion on this particular event; the occurrences were

Our Lady of Lourdes | Seventh Apparition. With no sign of awkwardness or self-consciousness, the child took the Rosary from her pocket and crossed herself in her usual profound manner; Monsieur later commented that if the sign of the Cross is made in Heaven, it must be as Bernadette made it that morning. All the while she was praying she

Our Lady of Lourdes | Eighth Apparition. Immediately upon her arrival, Bernadette commenced her Rosary as she always did. Before a decade had been completed, the ecstasy began; the child leaned forward and her face was lit with a heavenly smile and once more she began to reflect the grace of She whom she beheld. She smiled and - without

Our Lady of Lourdes | Ninth Apparition. "When she reached the back of the Grotto, Bernadette turned about and came back, still on her knees, down the same slope. I witnessed there a tour de force and I ought to have marvelled more at the ease and dignity of this child's movements in such a posture and on deeply sloping