The Relics of St. Bernadette Arrive at Our Lady of Lourdes

October 22, 2026, Veneration from Noon to 5 p.m.                                

Save the Date!

Forty-six years after her death, on April 18, 1925, the body of Bernadette Soubirous was exhumed so that relics could be retrieved -- fragments of the fifth and sixth ribs, both kneecaps, a sample of muscle from the right femur, locks of hair, and various muscle and skin fragments. On June 14, 1925, Pius XI proclaimed Bernadette "Blessed." On December 8, 1933, Pope Pius XI canonized Saint Bernadette. Her feast day is celebrated in most countries on April 16, the day of her passing. Since September 18, 2026, St. Bernadette's relics have been visiting parishes throughout the United States.

Kissing or touching a relic is not magic, but an act of belonging to the people of God. We put ourselves in the footsteps of that saint, a seeker of God who has given an example that inspires us to follow their spiritual journey. Relics are "remains" of someone who truly existed. We are not simply in front of a symbol or an image, but in front of a reminder that from the day of our baptism, we Christians have become a temple of the Holy Spirit, inhabited by God. 

Veneration of a relic is not a question of attaching undue importance to the physical material, but to what it represents. The Catholic veneration of relics is based not only on the natural respect for everything related to people held in great esteem and affection, but, above all, on the religious veneration due to martyrs or saints as heroes of the faith and models of Christian perfection. Relics are honored only to honor the holiness of God.

Please check back to this page as the date approaches for more information. And plan to join the Parish community for this special event.