22 April 2011

The Miraculous Beauty of St. Bernadette

Dead for 122 years now... simply astonishing

Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral
Lourdes, France

Do keep in mind that the poor sisters of those days -along with most everybody else- were simply buried in a pine box, and not professionally embalmed as is prevalent in civilized countries today... 

These photos show the "incorruptible" Saint Bernadette's body on display in Lourdes, France a full 122 years past her death... it's level of preservation a miracle in itself.

In this Holy woman's lifetime, Bernadette's eighteen separate visions of Mary at Lourdes -each recognized officially as a Marian apparation by The Vatican- propelled the young Maria-Bernada SobirĂ³s towards dedication to the Church and her eventual sainthood.


But the miracle of her physical appearance in death is just a single example of the over 200 involving seemingly ageless bodies (incorruptibility) of declared saints of the Roman Catholic Church...


If you ever find yourself near Lourdes , you can see the body for yourself at the stunning Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral. Not only did Mary appear to her with messages for Bernadette to pass-along to all mankind, many other miracles have taken place in the vicinity of Lourdes... and continue to this day.

1879 funeral procession

And slightly off-topic, The Vatican's official website