During her childhood, Saint Bernadette lived in Lourdes, France. She was the eldest of her eight siblings. Two days after her birth, Bernadette was baptized at Saint-Pierre church. Saint Bernadette suffered from terrible asthma when she was a child. As a result, she lived her entire life with poor health. When she was fourteen, Saint Bernadette went with a friend and her sister to look for firewood in a cave. Suddenly, a woman appears to Bernadette above a rosebush. The woman made the sign of the cross and recited the rosary. In response, Bernadette knelt and prayed her own rosary. However, Bernadette's sister and friend said she had never seen a woman. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Several days later, the girls returned to the cave. Bernadette claimed to be able to see the woman again and say her rosary. Bernadette fell into a daze and a girl threw a rock to try to snap her out of her state of mind. The stone shattered as it hit the ground and the woman disappeared. A few days later, Bernadette has a vision of the woman and she asks her to go to the cave every day. On each visit, Bernadette saw the Virgin Mary. These visions are known as “the Quinzaine Sacree,” which means “holy fortnight.” Bernadette's parents were ashamed of her visits to the cave. One day, Bernadette has a vision that tells her to “drink water from the spring, wash in it, and eat the grass that grows there” as an act of penance. The next day, the muddy water in the cave became clear. She had another vision that said “a chapel was to be built and a procession formed.” Her sixteenth vision lasted over an hour, during which Bernadette asked the woman what her name was, but the woman only responded with a smile. After repeatedly asking the woman what her name was, she replied, “I am the Immaculate Conception.” Many people in her town did not agree with Bernadette's visions. Some thought she was telling the truth, but others thought she suffered from a mental illness. Church authorities and the French government questioned Bernadette and decided that they believed her. Since the spring began producing drinking water, the Lourdes Medical Office has verified that it has cured sixty-nine people. However, there was no scientific explanation for the healings. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized paper now from our expert writers. Get a personalized essay. Bernadette asked a priest to build a chapel in the grotto, which is now known as the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes and is one of the largest Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world. Bernadette then learned to read and write at the Sisters of Charity school in Nevers. Bernadette later becomes an assistant in the infirmary. People admired Bernadette for her humility. One day, a nun asked her if her visions tempted her to be proud. Bernadette replied: “How can I? The Blessed Virgin only chose me because I was the most ignorant. Bernadette died of tuberculosis and was therefore unable to participate in the life of the convent. Her last words were: “Blessed Mary, Mother of God, pray for me. A poor sinner, a poor sinner.”