Name of the Virgin Mary linked to the apparitions of Lourdes (1858) by Bernadette Subirous. The place name refers to the French municipality of Lourdes, now a small town in the foothills of the Pyrenees where between 11 February and 16 July 1858 the shepherdess Bernadette witnessed 18 apparitions of a "beautiful lady".
Penance and prayer: according to Bernadette this is the heart of the message of the Madonna. This image of the Virgin, dressed in white, with a blue belt at the waist and a yellow rose at the foot, then entered the classic iconography. Over time, a shrine has developed around the places of the apparitions, a destination for a large number of faithful and pilgrims. Lourdes welcomes around 5 million visitors from all over the world every year.
Holidays: February 11th. This date is also the world day of the sick, an anniversary of the Catholic Church established by Pope John Paul II very close to the Madonna of Lourdes. The feast of the Virgin of Lourdes was chosen because many pilgrims and visitors to Lourdes reported having been healed through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin.