PY261BSP St Bernadette #261

Each beautifully designed medal is stamped in heavy gauge bronze and finished in a heavy silver plating that is thick enough to be engraved. The medals are rubbed with a soft patina to give them the distinct 'Py look.'

Feast Day April 16

Born 1/7/1844 (Lourdes, France)

Died - 4/16/1879 ((Nevers, France)

She was born of parents Francis & Louise Soubirous. She suffered from severe asthma and lived in abject poverty. She was baptized Mary Bernard.

On February 11, 1858 she had a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary in a cave on the banks of the Gave River near her home. Bernadette continued to have the visions in that year from February 18th through March 4th. She told about the visions to her parents and towns people and word scattered and crowds gathered. Authorities both civil and church tried to silence her but she stuck to her story and on February 25th a spring emerged from the cave and the waters were found to be miraculous and have great healing power.

On March 25th Bernadette announced to the world that the lady of the vision had announced herself as The Immaculate Conception and said, that a church should be erected on the site.

Civil authorities tried to shut down the spring and stop the building of the chapel but notoriety by that time had reached Empress Eugenie of France (wife of Napolean III) and the construction was finished.

In 1866 she was sent to the Sisters of Notre Dame in Nevers, France where she was discovered to have an incurable disease. She died April 16, 1879.She was beatified in 1925 and canonized in 1933 by Pope Pius XI.

Picture Shown is not actual size. Available in two sizes: 3/4" x 1/2" or 1-3/8" x 1"