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- February 11, 1858
The Miracle of Lourdes refers to the events that occurred in the town of Lourdes, France, in 1858, when a young peasant girl named Bernadette Soubirous claimed to have experienced apparitions of the Virgin Mary.
Between February 11 and July 16, 1858, Bernadette reported a total of 18 apparitions of a “lady” in a grotto near the town of Lourdes. During these apparitions, the “lady” identified herself as the Immaculate Conception and instructed Bernadette to drink from and wash in the spring that emerged from the grotto. Bernadette followed the instructions, and soon after, reports of miraculous healings and cures began to emerge among those who visited the spring.
The most famous of these alleged miracles is the case of Catherine Latapie, a woman who had been partially paralyzed for several years. After bathing in the spring, Catherine experienced a sudden and complete recovery of her mobility, which was attributed to the intervention of the Virgin Mary.
The reports of miraculous healings at Lourdes led to a surge in pilgrimage to the site, and Lourdes quickly became one of the most famous Marian shrines in the world. The Catholic Church investigated the events at Lourdes and eventually recognized them as worthy of belief. Today, millions of pilgrims visit Lourdes each year in search of spiritual solace and healing.