St. Bernadette – Our Patron Saint

Our school is named after St. Bernadette, one of the most well-known yet humble saints in Church history. She inspires people through her simple faith and incredible life story.

Bernadette Soubirous was born in Lourdes, France, into a very poor family and, as a child, she often had poor health.

One Thursday, February 11th, 1858, Bernadette was sent with her younger sister and a friend to gather firewood. While there, she saw a beautiful lady above a rosebush in a grotto called Massabielle. The lady was dressed in blue and white, smiled at Bernadette, and made the sign of the cross with a rosary of ivory and gold. Bernadette knelt, took out her own rosary, and began to pray.

The beautiful lady was God’s mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. She appeared to Bernadette 17 more times, speaking to her and asking her to pray for sinners, do penance, and have a chapel built in her honour.

At first, many people found it hard to believe Bernadette, but miracles began to happen when people used water from the spring she had dug.

As she grew older, Bernadette became a nun. Even though she had been chosen and favored by the Blessed Mother, she remained very humble. She once said, “The Blessed Virgin only chose me because I was the most ignorant.”

At our school, we try to follow Bernadette’s example by being humble, caring for others, and putting love and consideration for others before ourselves.