Saint Bernadette of Lourdes: How Her Body Remained Incorrupt
The Incorrupt Body of Saint Bernadette: A Miracle Beyond Science
The Catholic Church is abundant in mysteries and miracles—those supernatural events in time that demonstrate the power of God in eternity. Incorruptibility is one such miracle, and Saint Bernadette is among the saints chosen by God to manifest His power.
Bodies That Do Not Succumb to Decay
Every Ash Wednesday, we hear the words: “Remember, man, that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return.” For us ordinary mortals, death and decay are an inevitability; for all of us, that is, except for those chosen by God—the incorruptible. These are the saints throughout the history of the Church whose bodies have not withered with the passage of time. In some instances, such as that of Saint Cecilia, thousands of years have passed, yet their earthly remains have not decomposed.
Bernadette, the Visionary of Lourdes
The light of Christ has always shone brightest in times of darkness, and the 20th century was no exception. Particularly during those dark eras of apostasy and moral decline, one light shone with great clarity: the canonisation of Saint Bernadette Soubirous, the visionary of Lourdes, France.
The Life of Saint Bernadette Soubirous
It may be considered a great irony of providence that the messenger of Our Lady at Lourdes a place famous for its healings was herself afflicted by illness throughout her entire life. It would seem the miracle of Lourdes was not intended for her. In fact, Our Lady said to Saint Bernadette during a vision: “I cannot promise you happiness in this life, only in the next.”
A Difficult Childhood
Bernadette was born into a simple family that gradually fell into extreme poverty. She was a frail child from the beginning. From a young age, she suffered from digestive issues, and after narrowly surviving the cholera epidemic of 1855, she began to experience painful bouts of asthma. Her poor health almost saw her excluded from religious life permanently. When Monseigneur Forcade requested that Bernadette be admitted, the Mother Superior of the Sisters of Nevers replied: “Monseigneur, she will be a pillar of the infirmary.”
Burdened by Illness
For thirteen years, she resided in the convent and, as the Mother Superior had predicted, spent the majority of that time ill in the infirmary. When one of the sisters accused her of “laziness,” Bernadette replied: “My job is to be ill.” Gradually, in addition to her asthma, she was afflicted by other ailments, including pulmonary tuberculosis and a tubercular tumour on her right knee. On Wednesday, 16 April 1879, her pain increased significantly. Just after 11:00 am, she appeared to be suffocating and was moved to an armchair before a fireplace. She passed away at approximately 3:15 pm at the age of thirty-five.
The Miracle
Over the following 46 years, the body of Saint Bernadette was exhumed three times: first in 1909, then in 1919, and finally in 1925. During the first exhumation, it became immediately clear that a miracle had occurred: Saint Bernadette’s skin tone was entirely natural. Her mouth was slightly open, revealing that her teeth remained perfectly in place.
A Rosary Held in Perfect Condition
Although the rosary in her hands had perished and showed signs of rust and corrosion in places, the virginal hands that held it remained in perfect condition. The sisters present carefully washed the body and dressed it in a new habit before placing it in an officially sealed double casket.
A Special Mask
The exhumations conducted in 1919 showed no further signs of decay, although her hands and face had become slightly discoloured because of the washing performed by the nuns a decade earlier. A craftsman was commissioned to create light wax casts of Saint Bernadette’s hands and face. There were concerns that, although the body was well-preserved, the blackened tint of the face and the sunken eyes and nose might create an unsettling impression on the public.
Science Faces an Enigma
This leads us to the final exhumation in 1925. One of the physicians supervising the process, Dr Comte, wrote: “From this examination, I conclude that the body of the Venerable Bernadette is intact, the skeleton is complete, the muscles have atrophied but are well-preserved; only the skin, which is wrinkled, appears to have suffered from the moisture in the coffin… The body does not appear to be in a state of decomposition, though this would be expected and normal after such a long period spent in a crypt hollowed out of the earth.”
Not a Natural Phenomenon
The doctor was particularly astonished by the state of the liver: “During the examination, my attention was naturally drawn to the completely unexpected condition of the liver after 46 years. One would expect this organ, which is soft by nature and prone to crumbling, to decompose very quickly or harden to a chalky consistency. However, it was soft and possessed an almost normal consistency. I pointed this out to those present and noted that this does not appear to be a natural phenomenon.”
Final Reflections
This is truly the body of Bernadette, appearing realistic in her posture of meditation and prayer. This is the face that was lifted eighteen times toward Our Lady of Lourdes; these are the same hands that held her rosary during the apparitions, and the fingers that, in obedience to Our Lady’s request, dug into the earth and caused the miraculous spring to appear.
Right and Fitting
It seems only right and fitting that the Lord preserved in perfect condition the ears that heard the message of Lourdes, and the lips that repeated the name of the “Lady” to Father Peyramale: “I am the Immaculate Conception.” This is also the heart that carried such a profound love for Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and for sinners.
Be a Light to the World
Within this heart lies a deep understanding, which she would one day record: “I was nothing, and from that nothing, God made something great. In Holy Communion, I am heart to heart with Jesus. How sublime is my destiny.” Indeed, how sublime is the destiny of every Catholic who accepts the call of Christ to be a light shining in the darkness of their age. And how sublime is the destiny of those who find healing in the arms of the one who is the “Immaculate Conception.”
Laatst bijgewerkt: 2 March 2026 14:55