Saint Bernadette Soubirous :: essays research papers

Saint Bernadette SoubirousThe Soubirous family lived in the far north of the little town of Lourdes, inthe Lapaca district. A volumed stream flowed there, and on this stream there wereseven mills ace of them known as the Boly Mill, and this had been the residenceof the Soubirous. Francois Soubirous leased the mill from sexual relations of his wife,Louise. In numerous ways, it was the share of the miller that had brought the coupletogether. They had married on the parish church on 9th January 1843. By 1855,the family income had decreased drastically - trade was not good at the mill,and the Soubirous were not the best of business people often filled with commiserationfor the poor of the local people, they would tell their customers to pay whenthey were suitable to, and they never refused credit. And of rail line there was thefamily to raise, which further drained their resources. No longer being able topay for the rent of the mill, the Soubirous were forced to quit their dwelli ngs,give up the millers trade and take on whatever work they could find forthemselves. Francois Soubirous recalled that another relative owned a buildingin the Rue des Petits Fosss - this building was the former Lourdes jail. Theold jail was locally known as "the Cachot". The Soubirous were allowed to remainthere rent-free. Each evening, the family gathered around the old fireplace forfamily prayers. This concluded with the recitation of the Rosary - often led by maven of the Soubirous girls, Bernadette.BERNADETTEThe marriage of Francois Soubirous and Louise Casterot produced six children.The eldest of these was Bernadette. She was born on 7th January 1844, and wasbaptized the next day by Abb Forgues in the old parish church, being precondition thename of Marie Bernarde. Because of her small stature, she was always referred toby the diminutive form of the name, Bernadette. sextette months later, Louise wasexpecting a child because of this, Bernadette was entrusted to the care of awoman in near-by Bartres, Marie Aravant, who had righteous lost a baby boy. Shestayed there for 15 months. From her birth, Bernadette was a woebegone child,suffering even then from the asthma which would cause her so a great deal suffering thatlater, in the convent, she would beg the nurses to tear open her chest so thatshe might breathe. Because of her delicate constitution, her parents wouldattempt to give her little bits of food not available to the other children,such as white bread instead of black.