1: Bernadette’s feast day is April 16th! People usually celebrate her story on the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes (February 11th), and forget that Bernadette has her own feast day!  In some countries, the Catholic Church celebrates Bernadette’s feast on February 18, which is the day that Our Lady told her “I do not promise to make you happy in this world, but in the next.”

2: At the age of 14, Bernadette was only 4 and a half feet tall…about the size of an average 7 year old!  This is because she didn’t eat a lot as a child, and was often sick. You can find more cool facts like this when you download our St. Bernadette Glory Story Education Guide (it’s completely free too!).

3: Bernadette’s body is incorrupt, which means that it is preserved by God from decay!  You can see her body when you visit Nevers, France (the site of her convent…the Sisters of Charity still live and work there to this day!).

4: The story goes that Bernadette didn’t like painted images of Mary…she said that they didn’t look like her Lady at all.  The only image she would pray with is this one (which tradition says was painted by St. Luke). She said this image looked the most like the Lady who appeared to her in the grotto. It’s called Our Lady of Cambrai, and you can purchase pictures of it when you visit Lourdes.

5: Franz Werfel, the man who wrote the famous book The Song of Bernadette (on which the 1943 movie was based) was actually Jewish! During World War II, he and his family had to flee from Austria to France, then cross the Pyrenees mountains. While on the run, he took shelter in Lourdes for 5 weeks. He was so moved by the hospitality shown to him at Lourdes, that he promised St. Bernadette and Our Lady that if he made it to America alive, he would write a book about their story. He did indeed escape safely, and the book The Song of Bernadette is the result!

6: Anyone can volunteer at the Lourdes Sanctuary in France!  If you are over 18 and submit an application, the shrine will pay for your food and lodging as you help to welcome visitors. Learn more (and see some beautiful pictures) on this site.

7: You can bring a virtual Lourdes pilgrimage experience to your parish.  Check these people out…it could be a great option for those who cannot travel the long distance to France, including families!

8: Bernadette’s favorite book was the Imitation of Christ, and her favorite saints were St. Joseph, St. Francis of Assisi, and St. Bernard of Clairvaux. Here’s an article that has even more fun facts. Learn more about St. Joseph (and check out his Glory Story) here.

9: Bernadette prayed the Stations of the Cross every day, even when it wasn’t Lent! Perhaps praying the Stations more often (even every Friday) is a new tradition that your family could begin! You could offer the intentions for the Catholic Church in France…especially in the wake of the devastating Notre Dame fire. Not sure how to pray the Stations of the Cross? You’re not too late…check out this resource.

10: Here’s a prayer Bernadette wrote herself and prayed often…perhaps pray it as a family this April. Notice how she takes the line from the Our Father, to “give us this day our daily bread,” and asks for specific graces from God:

O Jesus, give me, I beg You

The bread of humility

The bread of charity

The bread of strength to break my will and to mold it to yours

The bread of interior mortification

The bread of detachment from creatures

The bread of patience to bear the suffering my heart endures.

O Jesus, You want me to be crucified…FIAT.

The bread of strength to suffer as I ought

The bread of seeing you alone in all things and at all times.

Jesus, Mary, the Cross, I want no other friends but these.

– St. Bernadette of Lourdes

May God bless you and your family on the Feast of Saint Bernadette! Remember, you can always download or purchase her Glory Story here (it’s meticulously researched, with a full cast of voices). We also have a free Education Guide to help you use it with your family or classroom!

Note for 2019: It was timely that her feast falls the day after fires ravaged the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. Praise God for preserving much of the church and relics within it…Mary our Mother (under whose patronage both Notre Dame and the country of France are under) is watching and protecting us all! Ave, Maria!