Description
On February 11, 1858, a 14-year old girl, Bernadette Soubirous, claimed a beautiful lady appeared to her in the remote Grotto of Massabielle and identified herself as the Blessed Virgin Mary. The lady appeared 18 times, and by 1859 thousands of pilgrams were visiting Lourdes each year. A staute of Our Lady of Lourdes was erected at the site in 1864. Since the apparitions, Lourdes has become one of the world’s leading Catholic Marian shrines. This cross is similar to early indulgence crosses sold to pilgrams at Lourdes.
