In 1858, in the small village of Lourdes, France, 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous experienced 18 apparitions of the Virgin Mary in the grotto of Massabielle.
During these visions, Our Lady asked Bernadette to pray and do penance for sinners. In one of the apparitions, Mary directed her to drink from a spring of water that miraculously began to flow from the grotto.
This spring has never stopped flowing.
Over the years, thousands of people who drank or bathed in the water reported miraculous healings. More than 70 cases have been officially recognized by the Catholic Church as medically inexplicable cures, though countless others are claimed by pilgrims.
Today, Lourdes is one of the greatest Catholic shrines in the world, attracting millions of pilgrims every year who seek healing, peace, and renewed faith.
