On July 30, 2019 I traveled to Lourdes, France.

It was my first pilgrimage to a Marian apparition site and a memorable experience.

This post is about the name of the Lourdes Visionary, one of my favorite Saints!

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Bernadette

Origin and Meaning

• Feminine form of Bernard
• Bernard comes from the Old German element bern (“bear”) combined with hart (“hard, firm, brave, hardy”)

Spelling Variations

• Bernadette – Dutch, English, French, German
• Bernadett – Hungarian
• Bernadeta – Occitan (local dialect of Lourdes)
• Bernardetta – Italian, Polish
• Bernardine – English, French
• Bernardina – Italian, Spanish
• Bernardino (masculine) – Italian, Portuguese, Spanish

Information from: behindthename.com

People

• St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) is a French Cistercian monk, abbot and mystic. He is a Doctor of the Church and called the “Mellifluous Doctor” for his eloquence. He is considered to be last of the Church Fathers. He advised popes, helped resolve a schism, reformed his monastic Order, founded monasteries, preached the Second Crusade, and encouraged devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He suffered from poor health most of his life, but it didn’t stop him from being one of the most influential figures of his time.
• St. Bernardino of Siena (1380-1444) is an Italian Franciscan priest, missionary and reformer. He is often called the “Apostle of Italy” and “Apostle of the Holy Name”. From his devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus, he created the symbol “IHS” (the first three letters of the name of Jesus in Greek) in Gothic letters on a blazing sun. Initially, his voice was weak and hoarse; but after 12 years of prayer, his voice became strong and commanding. He is considered to be the greatest preacher and missionary of his time. Pope Pius II called him a “second Paul”. He is one of the most popular Italian saints in history.
• St. Bernadette Soubirous (1844-1879) is a humble shepherd girl who received visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lourdes, France. This led to the founding of a miraculous spring and Marian shrine in Lourdes where many healings occur. After entering religious life with the Sisters of Charity, she was given the name Sister Marie-Bernarde in honor of her godmother Bernarde. She chose St. Bernard as her patron. She died at age 35 from a painful illness, after a life of poor health and great suffering. Her body is incorrupt and in a shrine in the Convent of St. Gildard of Nevers, France.