Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes

The Blessed Virgin Mary began appearing to a young girl named Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes, France, Feb. 11, 1858. The authenticity of the apparitions was confirmed by the church in 1862, and the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes has been observed worldwide since 1907. Many people make pilgrimages to Lourdes, which they find to be a place of healing and faith.