Thousands Venerate the Relics of St. Bernadette at St. John Neumann and St. Vincent de Paul Parishes
Impoverished, sickly and uneducated are not traits generally associated with a young, admirable role model. Yet thousands of people from around the Diocese of Harrisburg travelled to St. John Neumann Church in Lancaster and St. Vincent de Paul Church in Hanover on September 30, October 1 and October 2 to venerate the relics of St. Bernadette Soubirous.
They came because they know in their hearts what Father Daniel F.X. Powell, pastor of St. John Neumann Parish, and Bishop Ronald W. Gainer, Bishop Emeritus of Harrisburg, expressed in their homilies: St. Bernadette is a great saint worthy of imitation. Because of the simple faith of a young girl, many miracles have been attributed to the healing waters of Lourdes, France. Not everyone can travel to France, so parishioners took advantage of the second time the St. Bernadette National Relic Tour has come to central Pennsylvania.
In 1858, the Blessed Mother appeared 18 times to 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous at the grotto in Lourdes, France. During the apparitions, Bernadette was instructed to pray and do penance, to drink from and wash in the spring, and to have a chapel built.
Bishop Gainer told those gathered at St. Vincent de Paul on October 1, “The Blessed Mother told [Bernadette], ‘I do not promise to make you happy in this life but in the next.’ Life after the apparitions was certainly not happiness for Bernadette. She experienced much pain and even harassment. Skeptical civil and Church officials interrogated her harshly and at length.”
Despite the unjust treatment, Bernadette did as she was instructed. All these years later, Lourdes welcomes over 3 million visitors annually because a seemingly insignificant young girl obeyed Our Mother.
St. John Neumann Parish welcomed visitors from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. on September 30. The Sacrament of Reconciliation was offered, members of the Order of Malta led the Rosary and assisted at the reliquary, and Mass was celebrated, followed by the Water Gesture.
Nicholas Grasberger, a 15-year member of the Order of Malta, was asked by the Order to help organize and oversee the evening. Grasberger has been a member of St. John Neumann Parish for 22 years, but the day’s events were a singular experience for him.
“I think a lot of people here were very inspired by this,” he said. “Many people I saw earlier in the day for veneration came back for the Mass, and the inspiration people felt today was evident in their voices during Mass. Hearing the church vibrate with music was really special.”
As he assisted people at the reliquary, Grasberger saw a deep devotion to Our Lady. He could feel the sorrow, hope, pain, joy, grief and love that filled the church. Many came seeking healing, and it showed in their faces. Father Powell offered the congregation Mary’s words to the servants at the wedding at Cana, a simple but difficult task: “Do whatever he tells you.”
Just as Bernadette was obedient, Father Powell said, we are called to be obedient. To know what God is asking of us, we need to listen to his voice. It will be hard, and just as Bernadette faced opposition, even from those who should have been her most obvious supporters, we need the courage to move forward in faith.
Bishop Gainer explained, “The practice of venerating the physical remains of the saints is an ancient practice in the Catholic Church.”
St. Bernadette was given the grace to meet and speak with the Blessed Mother to bring about the kingdom of God. “Honoring the relics of God’s holy ones honors the work of grace in their lives and ultimately directs us toward Christ,” he said.
Father Michael P. Reid, pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish, kept the church open throughout the evening for veneration, and the Knights of Columbus assisted.
St. Bernadette may not have had an easy or happy earthly life, but our faith tells us that she is happy now in heaven with Our Lady. Her example shows us that no matter our poverty, health, or education, each of us has a role to play and a job to do for God.
Listen to instruction and do what He tells you to do. Like Bernadette, we may not find perfect happiness in this life, but we can hope for it in the next. The Journey of Grace: St. Bernadette National Relic Tour is not over, and there are still opportunities to experience its grace. Find a time and place to venerate the relics here. St. Bernadette, pray for us. Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
(Photos by Laura Loose, The Catholic Witness.)
By Laura Loose, The Catholic Witness
