Our Lady of Lourdes: The Thirteenth Apparition

In 1858, Our Lady of Lourdes appeared to Saint Bernadette Soubirous at the grotto in Lourdes eighteen times, each time bringing a message of prayer, penance, poverty, and participation. Through these posts, we continue our journey with Saint Bernadette as we encounter Our Blessed Mother through her eyes, memories, and words. The first twelve visitations occurred in February (February 11, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, and March 1). The Blessed Virgin, Our Lady of Lourdes, communicated the message of Lourdes to all mankind, through Saint Bernadette. She implored us, saying, “Penance, Penance, Penance. Pray to God for sinners.” Our Blessed Mother further invited Bernadette to drink and bathe in the muddy water of the grotto, after which a clear flowing spring came forth where none had existed before. Our Lady of Lourdes commanded, “Go drink in the spring and wash yourself there,” something that faithful pilgrims continue to do each day. (For personal reflections on my experience at Lourdes, see here, here, and here).


During the eight to twelfth visitations, Our Blessed Mother had repeated her instructions to pray for sinners, and to offer acts of penance to God for their salvation. During these times, Bernadette engaged in bizarre behaviors, at least in the opinion of the curious onlookers who now numbered close to 2,000 each day. Bernadette’s actions, kneeling, moving on her knees, kissing the ground in penance for sinners, eating bitter grasses, and washing and drinking the spring water were reflective and representative of the Passion of Our Lord, made manifest through the message of Lourdes.

Prior to the thirteenth apparition, on March 2, the local church had remained at a distance, although a priest was present for the first time the day before. Also, following the twelfth apparition, the first miraculous cure of a local woman’s arm paralysis occurred after she plunged her arm into the spring at Massabielle.

On March 2, Bernadette, accompanied by her aunts, returned to the grotto, now having to force her way through the crowds. As was her custom, she knelt with a lit blessed candle, prayed the Rosary, and engaged in acts of penance for sinners. The Blessed Mother appeared and gave Bernadette two commands. First, Bernadette was to go to the local priests and tell them that people should come to the grotto in procession. Second, the beautiful lady requested that a small chapel be built on the site.

Bernadette thanked Our Blessed Mother, and with her aunts accompanying her, went to the local priest to relay the request. Bernadette was quite frightened, more so than when she spoke with the police, but nonetheless presented herself to Father Peyramale (whom she called “Monsieur le Cure”). Upon telling him that the beautiful lady had requested the people come in procession to the grotto, Father Peyramale inquired as to the lady’s name (as Bernadette continued to refer to her as aquero.) Bernadette did not claim to know her name. Father Peyramale, doubting the truth of the story based upon Bernadette’s level of education and failure to yet make her First Holy Communion, sent her away. She returned several hours later, undeterred, to mention that aquero had also requested a chapel be built. He demanded that the next time she saw the beautiful lady that she ask her name.

In Saint Bernadette’s own words: “I went to see Monsieur le Cure to tell him that the Lady had asked me to go tell the priests to have a chapel built at the Grotto and that people should come there in procession. He looked at me for a moment and then he said to me in a rather stern tone: ‘Who is this Lady?’ I answered that I did not know. Then he instructed me to ask her name and to come back and tell him.”

Bernadette agreed to do as the priest requested, and returned home knowing that she had promised to go to the grotto every day for fifteen days, and that in two days, those fifteen days would be over. But the Blessed Virgin, Our Lady of Lourdes, would appear five more times to Saint Bernadette over the coming months.

Over the next few days, Bernadette would experience the doubt of the local priests, a new test of her faith and courage, and a new source of earthly suffering and humiliation for the young girl. She remained steadfast and confident in the message of Our Blessed Mother, and faithful to Our Lord. The chapel, which would eventually be built, would become a physical representation of the Church of Christ, the Rock on which our lives are built.

“I shall spend every moment loving. One who loves does not notice her trials; or perhaps more accurately, she is able to love them… Why must we suffer? Because here below pure Love cannot exist with suffering. O Jesus, Jesus, I no longer feel my cross when I think of yours.”
(from the Private Notes of Saint Bernadette)