Saint Bernadette’s reliquary in Roermond and Tienray (The Netherlands)
Currently, a relic of Bernadette Soubirous is traveling through the Netherlands. We visited "her" at the Munsterkerk in Roermond and at the "O.L. Vrouw Troosteres der Bedrukten" church in Tienray. This latter church is also known as "Little Lourdes" because a "grotto" has been installed there.
Bernadette Soubirous, born on January 7, 1844, in Lourdes, France, was a devout Catholic peasant girl who gained fame for her visions of the Virgin Mary. In 1858, at the age of 14, she claimed to have experienced a series of apparitions of a "beautiful lady" in a grotto near her home. The lady identified herself as the Immaculate Conception. Despite skepticism and scrutiny from both church authorities and locals, Bernadette remained steadfast in her testimony.
Following the apparitions, Bernadette became a nun and joined the Sisters of Charity in Nevers. She lived a humble and devout life, dedicated to prayer and serving others. She died at the age of 35 on April 16, 1879. Bernadette was canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church in 1933.
Bernadette's visions and her humble life have inspired countless pilgrims to visit Lourdes seeking healing and spiritual solace, and she remains an enduring symbol of faith and devotion within the Catholic tradition.