By P. Wirth MORAND 
Reading time: 18 min.
The Rosary is the spiritual heart of the Lourdes apparitions. Between February and July 1858, Our Lady appeared eighteen times to the young Bernadette Soubirous, always holding a Rosary in her hands. These celestial encounters were not random in their number and sequence. The apparitions seem to follow a structure deeply linked to the mysteries of the Rosary. After three introductory apparitions that recall the Holy Trinity, there follow fifteen apparitions that correspond to the five Joyful, five Sorrowful, and five Glorious mysteries. Through this extraordinary correspondence, the Virgin Mary may have wished to teach Bernadette – and all of us – the authentic way to pray the Rosary, by meditating on the mysteries of salvation.
The Blessed Virgin Mary, the “Immaculate Conception”, appeared 18 times to Bernadette of Lourdes, from 11 February to 16 July 1858. She always had a Rosary between her fingers or hanging from her arm.
Born in 1844, Bernadette was 14 at the time of the apparitions, but she looked as if she were only 11 or 12. Before 11 February, Bernadette already prayed the Rosary, but she did not know the 15 mysteries. She was also unaware of the mystery of the Holy Trinity.
When Our Lady first appeared to her on 11 February 1858, Bernadette, full of wonder and fear, took out her Rosary to begin praying with the sign of the cross. It was impossible! She only succeeded when the Apparition made the sign of the cross with her own Rosary. With this surprising act, it seems Our Lady wanted to teach Bernadette how to pray the Rosary.
The 18 apparitions took place during Lent, a time of conversion, except for the first two and the last two, and can be divided as follows: 3 plus 15. The first 3 seem to recall the mystery of the Holy Trinity (with the 3 theological virtues). At the end of the third apparition, the Virgin asked the girl, “Would you do me the kindness of coming here for fifteen days?” Now, this number 15 referring to the apparitions seems possibly related to the 15 mysteries of the Rosary: 5 Joyful, 5 Sorrowful, and 5 Glorious. Here is the series of apparitions with the possible correspondences between the mysteries of the Rosary and the events at the grotto:
Trinitarian Introduction
1st — 11 February: The Father (faith) – sign of the cross
2nd — 14 February: The Son (hope) – holy water
3rd — 18 February: The Spirit (charity) – I promise you…
Joyful Mysteries
4th — 19 February: Annunciation – greetings and smiles
5th — 20 February: Visitation – greetings and smiles
6th — 21 February: Nativity – silent ecstasy
7th — 23 February: Presentation – joy and sadness
8th — 24 February: Jesus lost – Penance! Pray!
Sorrowful Mysteries
9th — 25 February: Agony – Drink dirty water! Eat grass!
10th — 27 February: Scourging – penitential gestures
11th — 28 February: Crowning with thorns – penitential gestures
12th — 1 March: Way of the Cross – climbing on her knees
13th — 2 March: Death of Jesus – Procession and chapel!
Glorious Mysteries
14th — 3 March: Resurrection – finds the Lady already waiting for her
15th — 4 March: Ascension – transfigured face
16th — 25 March: Pentecost – I am the Immaculate Conception!
17th — 7 April: Assumption of Mary – the chapel!
18th — 16 July: Coronation of Mary – never so beautiful!
In this proposal, we follow the study of the specialist Fr. René Laurentin (Les apparitions de Lourdes. Récit authentique, 1979). The author did not see fit to revisit some previous attempts regarding the correspondences between the apparitions and the 15 mysteries. We, however, felt it was possible to discover some of these correspondences. Our Lady may have wanted to teach Bernadette to pray the Rosary by meditating on the mystery of the Holy Trinity and the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious mysteries. Happy praying of the Rosary with Bernadette of Lourdes!
TRINITARIAN INTRODUCTION
The recitation of the Rosary begins with the sign of the cross, saying: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. This is followed by the Creed, an Our Father, 3 Hail Marys in honour of the Holy Trinity, and the Glory Be.
1st apparition: 11 February, Thursday before Ash Wednesday – MARY, DAUGHTER OF THE FATHER
Bernadette hears a rustling sound like a gust of wind. But nothing moves. Another identical rustle: a bush of brambles (also called wild roses or “rosebush”) stirs in a kind of niche high up on the right of the Massabielle grotto. A light illuminates this dark niche and in this luminous halo appears a wonderful lady, or rather a young girl, she seemed so young, who smiles, opens her arms, bowing in a welcoming gesture that seems to say, “Come closer”.
Bernadette takes her Rosary and raises her arm to make the sign of the cross with the crucifix. Impossible! The apparition also has a white Rosary in her hand with a large, luminous crucifix which she raises to her forehead. Imitating this gesture, Bernadette’s arm rises and she in turn makes a large sign of the cross. Then she kneels. Praying the Rosary, she watches as best she can. The apparition lets the beads slip through her fingers, but does not move her lips. When the prayer is finished, she suddenly disappears in a trail of light.
2nd apparition: 14 February, Sunday before Ash Wednesday – MARY, MOTHER OF THE SON
After High Mass, Bernadette gets permission to return to the grotto with some companions, having armed herself with holy water. Bernadette runs ahead. Her companions find her kneeling, completely absorbed, with her Rosary in hand. At the end of the second decade, she gives a start. There is the light! There she is! With the Rosary moved to her right arm, the Lady looks at the small group of companions, making gestures of greeting and smiles.
Bernadette throws holy water at her to find out if the Lady comes from God or not. The more she sprinkles her, the more the Lady smiles, bowing her head.
Suddenly, a large stone thrown by an angry companion comes down the mountain and falls beside her in pieces, sowing panic among those with her. While Bernadette remains absorbed in her vision, they try to pull her away from the grotto by force. Her face is wet with tears, but she continues to smile. The ecstasy only ceases when she is brought back to the nearest house.
3rd apparition: 18 February, Thursday after Ash Wednesday – MARY, SPOUSE OF THE SPIRIT
Early in the morning, after the first Mass, accompanied by two ladies, Bernadette returns to the grotto and kneels before the niche. As soon as the Rosary begins, the Lady, enveloped in light, is there! Bernadette prays her Rosary along with the Lady. Then, prompted by her companions, Bernadette gets up and
approaches the Lady to ask her what she wants and to put it in writing.
Suddenly she stops, perplexed, then turns left and climbs the slope below the inner cavity of the rock. It is there that she sees the Lady again, so close she could touch her. She stands up and, stretching out her arms, offers the Lady a pen and paper, saying, “Would you be so good as to write down your name?” The Lady smiles gently and, smiling, says to her, “It is not necessary”.
And she adds, this time very seriously, “Would you do me the kindness of coming here for a fortnight?” In response, Bernadette promises with all her heart. To this promise, she responds with another promise, “I promise to make you happy, not in this world, but in the next”.
JOYFUL MYSTERIES
The dominant theme of the 5 Joyful mysteries and the corresponding apparitions is joy. The apparitions are punctuated by smiles and greetings. After the 6th apparition, she undergoes her first great trial; the police commissioner threatens her (one might think of Herod’s threats). During the 8th apparition (Jesus lost and sought for three days with anguish), Bernadette runs from the niche to the grotto and from the grotto to the niche as if looking for something or someone. She is invited to perform the first penitential acts that will characterise the following 5 mysteries. These 5 apparitions take place from the Friday after Ash Wednesday to the Wednesday of the 1st week of Lent. Monday 22 February is a day without an apparition.
4th apparition: 19 February, Friday after Ash Wednesday – THE ANNUNCIATION
Around 6 in the morning, Bernadette goes down to the grotto. She kneels and begins to say the Rosary. Aunt Bernarde, her godmother, lights a blessed candle and places it in her right hand.
She has barely said three Hail Marys when her face changes. She smiles and greets with her hands and head. It is a pleasure to see her greet, as if all her life she had done nothing but learn how to offer greetings. The vision smiles in silence.
Bernadette’s pale face and the fixedness of her gaze never inspire fear. Her godmother, very emotional, fearing she will lose her goddaughter, sheds hot tears. She clutches her to her body, letting out a cry.
The spell is broken. The colour returns to Bernadette’s face. She awakens very calmly from this unknown world. The return home is serene and prayerful.
5th apparition: 20 February, Saturday after Ash Wednesday – THE VISITATION
Bernadette sets off towards the grotto after 6 in the morning. When she arrives, she kneels with her Rosary, glancing at the niche from time to time.
After a quarter of an hour, she looks again towards the niche. Now she sees her. The Lady smiles and greets her. Bernadette also smiles, greets, and her eyelids are not lowered, even when she bows her head to offer greetings.
A quarter of an hour later, a final greeting, with a veil of sadness on her face as her eyelids move again. Bernadette gets up. The vision is over.
6th apparition: 21 February, 1st Sunday of Lent – THE NATIVITY
Bernadette walks towards the grotto before 6 in the morning. As always, she kneels, lights a candle, takes her Rosary, makes the sign of the cross, and begins to pray it, bowing in greeting.
That morning, a hundred people contemplate Bernadette’s silent ecstasy. And they return home happy.
In the evening, she is questioned for the first time by the police commissioner, who threatens to put her in prison and forbids her from going to the grotto.
7th apparition: 23 February, Tuesday of the 1st week of Lent – THE PRESENTATION
Shortly after 6 in the morning, Bernadette arrives at the grotto. She kneels and begins to pray the Rosary. At the end of the first decade of the Rosary, a change occurs. The movement of her fingers stops. Then it resumes but less regularly. Joy seems to take her breath away and block her way of praying. Smiles, greetings, and large signs of the cross interrupt the recitation of the Rosary.
At a certain point, a kind of conversation seems to begin. Bernadette listens, marvels, nods her head yes and then no. Sometimes she becomes sad, then laughs in a frank and joyful manner.
Has the Lady confided a first secret to her? It is more likely a secret prayer, “for her alone”, which Bernadette would later recite every day of her life.
The tax collector, at first sceptical, is quickly won over. Other witnesses, however, want to verify the facts. A companion of Bernadette’s pinches her, then sticks a pin in her shoulder, no reaction! The candle slips from the visionary’s hand and burns her fingers; no harm done!
Final bows and final smiles; it is almost 7 o’clock when Bernadette returns to Lourdes. In the town, there are the enthusiastic, the fervent, those who wait before making a judgement, and the free-thinkers who see in it only things to be ridiculed and mocked.
8th apparition: 24 February, Wednesday of the 1st week of Lent – THE FINDING OF JESUS
Early in the morning, Bernadette arrives at the grotto, kneels, lights her candle, and makes the sign of the cross. The Rosary beads slide gently through her clasped fingers. Towards the end of the first decade, she enters another world, smiling.
After five or six minutes, Bernadette is no longer smiling. She gets up, appearing sad, anxious, even unhappy. Her eyes are full of tears and she seems to be looking for someone. She heads towards the grotto, looks to the right and finds her smile again. Her lips move. But the conversation seems to be veiled in sadness. She returns to her previous spot with her eyes full of tears.
When she reaches the outer niche, the sadness disappears from her face, which “lights up with sweet smiles”.
Bernadette goes back and forth from the outer niche to the inner cavity; joy and sadness alternate on her face. She hears the Lady utter a new word, “Penance”. And adds, “Pray to God for the conversion of sinners”.
Then she asks her to go up on her knees and kiss the ground as a sign of penance for sinners. The Lady’s face was sad. Bernadette says yes. The apparition asks her “if that would be tiresome for her”. “Oh! No!” Bernadette replies with all her heart.
She immediately moves forward on her knees, then bows her face forward. Then she wants to start again, but interrupted by her aunt’s cry, she returns to this world. The apparition has disappeared.
Bernadette feels ready to do anything to please this heavenly friend, so sad when speaking of sinners, but who has entrusted her with a new secret or a secret prayer. In the town, while the gossips find fault, others take the Lady’s advice seriously or deepen their fervour.
SORROWFUL MYSTERIES
The penitential dimension characterises the 5 sorrowful mysteries and the corresponding apparitions. Bernadette undergoes several penances: walking on her knees, kissing the ground, drinking muddy water, and eating wild grass. The ecstasies have almost disappeared; she rarely shows great joy or laughs. During the 9th apparition (corresponding to the agony of Jesus), she tries three times to drink the muddy water without success. Bernadette is considered mad. She endures harsh interrogations. These 5 apparitions take place from the Thursday of the 1st week to the Tuesday of the 2nd week of Lent. Friday 26th February is a day without an apparition. The 13th apparition announces the glorious mysteries with the two requests of the Apparition: to come in procession to the grotto, and to build a chapel.
9th apparition: 25 February, Thursday of the 1st week of Lent – THE AGONY
Having arrived at the grotto around half past five in the morning, Bernadette kneels and takes her Rosary in her hand. She raises her eyes to the niche, then lowers them, and with the cross of the Rosary between her fingers, she raises them again towards the rock. She recites her Rosary in a low voice. Nothing out of the ordinary.
But then, she removes her white veil, hands her candle to her aunt and starts on her knees up the slope that leads to the back of the grotto. From time to time, she kisses the ground. She is heard to murmur a word three times, “Penance, penance, penance!” Having reached the opening of the grotto, she stops, gets up, and looks around. The Lady tells her, “Go and drink at the spring and wash yourself.” And she adds, “You will also eat the grass that is there.” All this is “for sinners,” the Lady explains to her with a sad air.
Bernadette returns to her knees where she was before, then heads towards the river Gave, but something stops her. She turns back, looks at the niche, gets up, and goes back under the vault in search of something she cannot see. She goes down again towards the Gave, but again something stops her. She returns under the vault, looking with disgust at the muddy ground. Then suddenly she bends over the ground, scratches the earth, takes that sludge, brings it to her face and throws it away, disgusted.
She starts scratching a second time and again throws away that mud with disgust.
She repeats the same actions a third time.
Finally, she ventures a fourth time, scratches, a little water rises into the hollow of her hand and she drinks it with difficulty. She draws it again and this time smears her face with it.
Around the hole she has dug there is a slope covered with wild grass. She eats a little of it and returns to where she was before, and begins to pray again. She could not make the final sign of the cross before the Lady had made it. After two or three minutes she gets up and returns to the town.
In the evening, Bernadette is summoned by the imperial prosecutor who questions her, threatening to lock her in prison. She recounts the events as they happened, but the prosecutor intentionally distorts them. He calls for the police commissioner, who does not arrive. The matter is postponed “until the morrow”.
10th apparition: 27 February, Saturday of the 1st week of Lent – THE SCOURGING
At 7 in the morning, Bernadette arrives at the grotto and kneels. After the initial greetings and smiles, she becomes so sad as to be unrecognisable.
She gets up, then kneels again, moves forward on her knees kissing the ground, goes up the slope under the cavity, comes back down and goes up again. This time she bows amidst a clump of grass and brings muddy water to her lips.
She smears her face in such a way as to make her disfigured and repulsive.
The headmaster of the Lourdes high school looks away, shuddering. All this makes no sense, – so he thinks –, it is a clinical case.
11th apparition: 28 February, 2nd Sunday of Lent – THE CROWNING WITH THORNS
In the morning, the crowd finds Bernadette at the grotto, kneeling with her candle.
She performs penitential gestures similar to those of the previous days. The apparition lasts for quite a long time.
The crowd has also taken in the habit of kissing the ground both during and after the apparition. A slightly larger number of people than yesterday go to the spring, whose flow is increasing.
Upon leaving the solemn Mass, Bernadette is taken back to the examining magistrate who threatens to imprison her.
The headmaster of the Lourdes high school questions her about the strange exercises performed yesterday. Bernadette replies, “The Vision commanded me to do it as a penance, first for myself and then for others.”
12th apparition: 1 March, Monday of the 2nd week of Lent – THE WAY OF THE CROSS
Having arrived at the grotto, Bernadette begins to say the Rosary. But then her soul is enraptured. Joy and sadness follow one another on her face.
Then she resumes her march on her knees, and renews the penitential exercises. During the ascent on her knees, she stops, puts her hands on her head with a gesture of indignant sadness. Was it because people had torn branches from the rose bush, or simply because the crowd prevented her from proceeding?
Having reached the spring, she drinks the muddy water without scooping it with her hand. She smears her face with it, turns and looks towards the inner niche.
After that, taking a Rosary in her hand again, she becomes sad, puts it back in her pocket and takes out another. In fact, the Lady had appeared displeased and had signalled this to her. She resumes praying, this time using the rosary that was hers.
Bernadette finds no peace with the people, who run after her. The crowd oscillates between rejection and adoration.
13th apparition: 2 March, Tuesday of the 2nd week of Lent – THE DEATH OF JESUS
Bernadette arrives at the grotto at 7 in the morning. She performs the usual exercises there: walking on her knees, kissing the ground, drinking from the spring.
A dialogue takes place under the inner cavity. Bernadette laughs, then becomes serious. This time she is entrusted by the Lady with a very specific commission. “You will tell the priests to come here in procession and to build a chapel.” It is also supposed that she received a secret.
Accompanied by her aunts, she goes to the parish priest to ask him to hold the procession. “I cannot hold a procession for a nameless Lady” is the priest’s reply, who angrily sends her home, accusing her of telling lies. In the commotion, she has forgotten to speak of the chapel.
In the evening, she returns to the parish priest with a friend to request the chapel. But he reproaches her, “You still don’t know that Lady’s name!”
GLORIOUS MYSTERIES
The last apparitions are all oriented towards the construction of the future sanctuary, the “chapel” requested by the Lady. Three apparitions still take place in Lent. The 15th, which corresponds to the mystery of the Ascension, occurs on a Thursday. The Lady reveals her identity in the 16th apparition, on 25 March, the feast of the Annunciation (mystery of Pentecost). The 17th apparition takes place on the Wednesday after Easter. The 18th and final apparition, takes place in July on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
14th apparition: 3 March, Wednesday of the 2nd week of Lent – THE RESURRECTION
Bernadette arrives at the grotto at 7 in the morning with her mother and aunt. There is such a crowd that her candle is broken. She is forced to remain standing for lack of space. The Rosary is recited while waiting for the smile that announces the ecstasy. Nothing… Nothing but a growing sadness as the recitation of the Rosary proceeds. Bernadette dries her tear-filled eyes, along with her mother who is also crying. That morning, Bernadette saw nothing.
After school, she feels inwardly drawn to the grotto. She returns there with her aunt who has brought a candle. Arriving there, she finds the Lady there, smiling and waiting for her. Bernadette asks her what her name is, but the Lady does nothing but smile. She wants the chapel.
Bernadette presents herself again to the parish priest of Lourdes to ask him for the chapel. “If she wants the chapel,” the parish priest replies, “let the Lady say her name and make the grotto’s rose bush bloom!”
15th apparition: 4 March, Thursday of the 2nd week of Lent – THE ASCENSION
Around 7 in the morning, Bernadette kneels in her usual place. She lights the candle. She makes the sign of the cross and begins to recite the Rosary, motioning for the people to pray with her. At the third Hail Mary of the second decade, a smile appears on her face. The outside world, for Bernadette, has disappeared.
Time flows gently, in a continuous repetition of joy and exultation. Bernadette continues to recite the Rosary slowly, interrupted by smiles and greetings. At the end, she raises the three fingers in which she holds the cross to her forehead, but only on the third attempt does she manage to make the sign of the cross.
After half an hour, she gets up and enters the grotto. Her face lit with joy, she greets, and in the space of two minutes, up to 18 smiles. Her face then becomes serious and sad for three minutes, then brightens again. She greets two or three times and returns to her usual place. She kneels and resumes reciting the Rosary.
She goes back up under the inner cavity but this time she is disappointed. She seems to be waiting for at most two minutes, appears annoyed, comes down again, looks towards the niche, makes a sign of the cross, composes herself for a moment, gets up. Once the recitation of the Rosary is finished, the vision has disappeared. She extinguishes her candle and without a word, takes her road back to Lourdes.
After lunch, she returns to the parish priest and says: “I asked the Lady her name and she smiled. I asked her to make the rose bush bloom, and she smiled again. But she still wants the chapel”.
16th apparition: 25 March, Thursday of the 6th week of Lent – PENTECOST
Around 5 in the morning, Bernadette arrives at the grotto; the Lady is already there waiting for her. She begins to recite the Rosary. The visionary’s face lights up with a smile. But at the end of the Rosary recitation, she appears disappointed, hesitant. Her face seems tense. Finally, she moves towards the interior of the grotto. The Lady makes a sign to her and Bernadette approaches. This time she dares to ask her, “Miss, would you be so good as to say who you are, please?” The radiant young Lady smiles… Bernadette repeats the question. The young Lady gives an even more beautiful smile, she smiles. Bernadette begs her a third time, still silence. At the fourth attempt, the young Lady no longer laughs. She moves her Rosary to her right arm. She lowers her unjoined hands towards the ground. Then she raises her eyes to heaven and says, “I am the Immaculate Conception”.
It is almost an hour since the apparition began. Bernadette’s usual colour returns to her face. She gets up, filled with joy and gratitude.
Bernadette starts running to reach the parish priest, repeating the words she heard in a low voice, fearing she would forget them. She knocks on the door, and, almost face to face, she throws the commission she received in her reverend parish priest’s face, “Que soy era Immaculada Councepciou“.
The parish priest tries to save face, but inwardly he is shaken. “She still wants the chapel,” murmurs Bernadette during a moment of silence. Then the parish priest sends her home.
17th apparition: 7 April, Wednesday after Easter – THE ASSUMPTION
Bernadette arrives at the grotto at 5 in the morning and positions herself about ten paces in front of the outer niche. She kneels and lights her candle. She begins to recite her Rosary calmly and fervently, looking straight ahead with her eyes fixed.
Having reached the second decade, she greets, she smiles. Her face is transfigured. She continues to recite the Rosary but in an irregular manner. At certain moments the rapture stops her and she does nothing but laugh with joy and continue to greet. From time to time, a tear shines before drying on her cheeks. The Rosary is finished, but she remains there, enraptured.
Having put the Rosary back in her pocket, Bernadette joins her hands vertically along the candle planted in the ground. The flame, agitated by a gust of wind that threatens to extinguish it, slips between the fingers of her hand without causing any burn. Beside her, a doctor, witness to this inexplicable fact, becomes a believer.
Then Bernadette takes the candle in her hand again as usual. She gets up, greets politely towards the niche, moves under the vault, where the vision resumes. A conversation begins, Bernadette is now sad, now smiling. The Immaculate Conception still wants a chapel. Does Bernadette ask her for a miracle to convince those who do not want to believe? Perhaps to make the rose bush bloom for the parish priest? Did she receive a secret, a confidence? It is not known.
A few minutes later, a kind of veil descends on her pale face. She greets one last time and gets up. The ecstasy lasted about an hour.
18th apparition: 16 July, Our Lady of Mount Carmel – CORONATION OF MARY
At eight in the evening, Bernadette, knowing that access to the grotto is made impossible by a fence, heads to the right bank of the river Gave. She kneels in the meadow. She looks across the Gave towards the dark mass of the grotto. As soon as she began reciting the Rosary, her hands unclasped and lowered in a greeting of joyful surprise. She smiles.
“I saw neither the fence nor the Gave,” she would later say. “It seemed to me that I was at the grotto and at the same distance as the other times. I only saw the Holy Virgin.” She would add that she had never seen her so beautiful.
How long did all this last? In that warm night, the passage of time is imponderable. The beads that slip through her fingers joyfully renew the momentum of the Hail Marys.
She gets up. The end! It is the last time, on this earth, that Bernadette saw the Holy Virgin. She courageously resumes her ordinary life, her path of faith, with no other commitment than that of daily faithfulness.
St John Bosco 
P. Natale CERRATO 
BSOL Editor