In these articles I have looked at the lives of saints who were engaged in catechetical activities. Our Lady is the ultimate catechetical saint, as has been stated in Evangelii Nuntiandi (82), Catechesi Tradendae (73), and the General Directory for Catechesis (291). Continuing in my desire to prepare for the Year of Faith by looking at apparitions of Our Lady, today we will look at Our Lady of Lourdes.[i]
When we look at apparitions of Our Lady, we focus on the message that God chose to give us by sending the Mother of God as the mediator of his message. The story of St. Bernadette Soubirous (1844 -1879) and “the Lady” as Bernadette called her is one that is well known. She was born in a rugged part of France to a miller and his wife. By the time of the apparitions, her family was reduced to stark poverty, and was living in an old jail. Bernadette suffered from asthma, and missed school frequently. There is some evidence that she may have suffered from a learning disability.
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