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- [00:00]
Lindsey Graham
There are more ways than ever to listen to History Daily ad free. Listen with Wondry plus in the Wondery app as a member of Noiser plus at noiser.com or in Apple Podcasts. Or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts@intohristory.com It's February 11, 1858, near the small town of Lourdes in southwest France. By the tree lined banks of a river, 14 year old Bernadette Soubirous waits anxiously as her younger sister and a friend wade through the icy water in search of firewood on the other side. Being left behind is something Bernadette is all too familiar with since contracting cholera as a toddler, she suffered from asthma and is often sick. But she's feeling strong today and is determined to play her part. So she continues down the riverbank, searching for a place where it might be safe for her to cross. She finds a spot where the water looks shallower and she sits on the ground to remove her shoes and stockings. As she does, she notices that the wind picks up. But as she looks up at her surroundings, Bernadette realizes her hair's not moving. The trees are still, the grass is calm, and yet she can still hear the wind. As she tries to make sense of what's happening, her eyes are drawn to the imposing limestone rock face on the opposite side of the river. There, something is moving. A small wild rose quivers as if it's caught in a breeze, and behind it is what looks like the opening to a small cave. As Bernadette watches, a bright light emerges from inside. She shakes her head, convinced she's imagining it all. The light remains. Then it too begins to move. Bernadette clutches her rosary beads as the light grows brighter, comes nearer, and suddenly coalesces into the shape of a young woman. Terrified, Bernadette tries to make the sign of the cross on her chest. But she finds she cannot move until the ghostly figure in the cave makes the sign herself. And then Bernadette is able to copy. Suddenly, Bernadette doesn't feel afraid anymore. She feels warm and at peace because she is certain she is in the presence of the divine. When Bernadette Subaru tells her companions what she's witnessed, they don't believe her. They saw nothing. No rose, no light, and certainly no woman. But this is just the first of 18 visions that Bernadette will claim to witness, and the town of Lorda will become a place of pilgrimage. And soon everyone in the Catholic world will know the name of the sickly French teenager who saw a vision of the Divine on February 11, 1858.
- [02:50]
Jorge Gaviria
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- [03:19]
Unnamed Voice
This is a Reese's Peanut Butter cup sound experiment. We're looking to find the perfect way to hear Reese's so you'll buy more of them. Here we go. Reese's, Reese's, Reese's, Reese'S Reese's hey, get out of here, you little stinker.
- [03:37]
Lindsey Graham
Reese's, Reese's.
- [03:42]
Unnamed Voice
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups that breathy one sounded very creepy, am I right?
- [03:53]
Lindsey Graham
From Noiser and Airship, I'm Lindsey Graham, and this is History. Daily history is made every day on this podcast. Every day, we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is February 11, 1858. The Miracle of Lourdes It's February 11, 1858, in the town of Lourdes in southwest France. Shortly after Bernadette Soubirous saw a ghostly vision on the riverbank, Bernadette rushes into the cramped stone walled room of her family home. She's eager to tell her parents of the miraculous vision she's just had. They are a religious family, and Bernadette expects them to be as excited as she is by her brush with the divine. But instead, they simply ask her to stop lying. Bernadette is shocked. She has many failings. She she's not a good student, and the local nuns who instruct her are often frustrated with her efforts. But she still thinks of herself as an essentially honest person and insists she isn't telling tales. Yet her parents doubt her because the family's recent run of luck shows few signs of any divine intervention. Bernadette's father, Francois, was once the manager of a successful mill, but it closed and the family sank into debt and were evicted from their home. Now they live in this single room, a former prison cell 40ft across that's been deemed too unsanitary to even house convicts. It's damp and cold, and there's never enough food for all six in the family. Bernadette's father simply can't believe that they would be chosen for such a Divine gift. Bernadette's mother, Louise, is even more adamant. She considers it a sin to make such claims and is clear with her daughter that she is not to repeat them to anyone else. These warnings shake Bernadette. She's a good daughter who usually obeys her mother and father. But this experience has changed her, and after three days of silence, she can resist no longer. She returns to the riverbank with two friends, and once again she feels the strange breeze and sees the woman who this time, Bernadette claims, smiles at her. Her friends watch, hoping to catch a glimpse of the vision too. But they see nothing. Disappointed, they tease Bernadette and throw rocks into the cave, causing the woman to vanish from Bernadette's view. Desperate to see this smiling woman again, Bernadette returns to the cave every chance she gets, hoping to see the woman again. But she is always disappointed, until on February 18, the vision returns, and this time, the woman speaks. The ghostly apparition asks Bernadette to return to the cave every day for the next two weeks. Bernadette immediately agrees before rushing home to tell her parents what she's seen. Just as before, though they don't believe her and forbid their daughter from returning, Bernadette decides to ignore their commands. And instead, as instructed by her vision, she walks along the river every day and sits silently in prayer alongside the apparition that only she can see. By now, word of Bernadette's visions has spread around town and divided opinion. Some locals insist the girl is mad or simply lying to get attention, but many others aren't so sure. If ever there was a town in need of a miracle, it's theirs. So every day that Bernadette makes her pilgrimage, she's joined by more people. None of them see what she sees, but that doesn't stop them from wanting to. Soon, though, the growing crowds draw the attention of local law enforcement. Large gatherings have been outlawed by the government in an attempt to clamp down on dissent. And local police commissioner Dominique Jacomet is a stringent follower of rules. He visits Bernadette at her home and questions her aggressively. He even threatens her with prison if she doesn't tell him the truth. But every attempt to make Bernadette contradict herself fails. She tells the same story every time. And eventually, the frustrated Giacomet leaves with one final threat. That he can still make life difficult for all of them if Bernadette causes any more trouble. This visit has unintended consequences, though seeing her calm demeanor in the face of interrogation has convinced Bernadette's parents that she is telling the truth about what she's seen. They still urge caution for her own sake, but they tell their daughter that from now on she will have their support. With her parents behind her, Bernadette will feel a weight has been lifted from her shoulders. She will go on to fulfill her promise to the apparition, but the smiling vision in the cave will have more to show her before Bernadette's pilgrimage is complete. And this small town in the south of France will soon bear witness to a miracle.
- [08:48]
Unnamed Voice
Your weekly dose of romance and drama has arrived. Season 29 of the Bachelor is here and Grant Ellis, certified hottie and former day trader, is trading his day job on Wall street for a second chance at everlasting love. New episodes drop every Monday at 8, 7 Central bringing you fresh twists in Grant's journey to find his soulmate. This self proclaimed mama's boy is all grown up and ready to invest his heart. Will his playful charm win over the house full of hopefuls? Or will the competition prove too intense? From heartfelt moments to adrenaline pumping dates, each week brings new surprises in the mansion. Will Grant find his perfect match or end up with a broken heart? Tune in every Monday at 87 Central on ABC and stream on Hulu for new episodes of the Bachelor.
- [09:36]
And now a next level moment from ATT Business. Say you've sent out a gigantic shipment of pillows and they need to be there in time for International Sleep day. You've got AT and T5G so you're fully confident, but the vendor isn't responding. And International Sleep Day is tomorrow. Luckily, AT&T 5G lets you deal with any issues with ease, so the pillows will get delivered and everyone can sleep soundly, especially you. AT&T 5G requires a compatible plan and device coverage not available everywhere. Learn more@att.com 5G Network It's February 25.
- [10:17]
Lindsey Graham
1858, in Lourdes in the south of France, two weeks after Bernadette Soubirous had her first vision. Now 400 people watch as Bernadette sinks to her knees in the limestone cave. As if in a trance, she digs deep in the mud until pools of water form around her fingers. Then she scoops the dirty liquid up to her mouth and drinks. The crowd gathered around the cave gasps, but Bernadette is not finished swallowing the water. She then pulls out weeds from the ground around her and eats those too. The crowd is shocked, but when Bernadette comes out of her trance, she tells them that the woman in her vision instructed her to drink the water and eat the plants. After this strange display, many think Bernadette is mad. But when the crowds return the following day, they're stunned again by what they find. Water is running out of the cave, and it's clear as a diamond. Bernadette's digging has revealed a natural spring. And now even the doubters are beginning to be convinced that Bernadette is telling the truth. The discovery of the spring draws even more people to the cave. And a few days later, a heavily pregnant woman walks five miles from a nearby village to bathe in its waters, hoping they will heal her crippled hand. When she arrives, a hush falls over the expectant crowd as they watch her lower her hand into the icy stream. The response is almost instantaneous. She raises her hand and demonstrates to all a full range of motion. This healing seems like a sign that both Bernadette and the cave are blessed by God. And this first apparent miracle is quickly followed by a second. Only two days later, a man who's been blind in one eye for 19 years bathes in the spring waters and claims his sight is then restored. This act turns a local curiosity into a national phenomenon. Soon, 8,000 people are accompanying Bernadette on her daily visits to the cave. Sometimes the vision is silent. Sometimes she speaks. And on March 25, 1858, Bernadette goes so far as to ask the woman her name. She is told, I am the Immaculate Conception, the name the Catholic Church has only recently given to the Virgin Mary. It seems to be confirmation that Bernadette's vision is of the mother of Jesus Christ. But stories like these are not taken lightly by the Catholic Church. They have investigators who examine any claims of divine encounters. A team of them soon arrives to quiz Bernadette. But once again, she is calm and consistent under their scrutiny. And the investigators leave the meeting convinced she's telling the truth. So the events at the cave will now be put before the Pope himself. Only he can declare if miracles have truly occurred. But as the crowds around the cave continue to grow, it isn't only the church that sees the need to take action. The local mayor has had enough of the pilgrims overrunning his town. So in an attempt to dissuade any more from coming, he barricades the cave with fences. Now the closest anyone can get to the spring is from across the river. But the crowds still come, and some won't be denied by fences. In early July, a young mother breaks through the barricades. Doctors believe her 2 year old son is dying of consumption and have told her there's nothing they can do, but she refuses to give up to the cries of concern from the crowds. She carries her son into the cave and bathes him in the water. Within days, it's reported that he's staged a miraculous recovery. The doctors are baffled, but the reputation of the Miracle Springs spreads even further. But only Bernadette ever sees the apparition, and those visits will soon come to an end. On July 16, 1858, Bernadette has what will be her final vision. While standing among the pilgrims on the riverbank, she senses the same breeze that she felt while collecting wood in February. No one else seems to notice it, but when Bernadette looks up to the cave, she sees the woman and feels the same familiar holy warmth inside. For the last time, Bernadette Subiru's visions may be at an end, but what she saw will continue to change lives, especially her own. In the years to come, the town of Lourdes will transform into one of the most visited holy sites in the world, and Bernadette will be declared a saint.
- [14:37]
Unnamed Voice
A few miles from the glass spires of midtown Atlanta lies the south river forest. In 2021 and 2022, the woods became a home to activists from all over the country who gathered to stop the nearby construction of a massive new police training facility nicknamed Cop City.
- [14:57]
At approximately 9:00 this morning, as law enforcement was moving through various of the property, an individual without warning shot a Georgia State Patrol trooper.
- [15:08]
This is We Came to the Forest, a story about resistance.
- [15:12]
Lindsey Graham
The abolitionist mission isn't done until every prison is empty and shut down.
- [15:16]
Unnamed Voice
Love and Fellowship it was probably the happiest I've ever been in my life and the lengths will go to protect the things we hold closest to our hearts. Follow We Came to the Forest on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts, you can binge all episodes of We Came to the Forest early and ad free right now by joining Wondery.
- [15:37]
On January 5, 2024, an Alaska Airlines door plug tore away mid flight, leaving a gaping hole in the side of a plane that carried 171passengers. This heart stopping incident was just the latest in a string of crises surrounding the aviation manufacturing giant Boeing. In the past decade, Boeing has been involved in a series of damning scandals and deadly crashes that have chipped away at its once sterling reputation. At the center of it all, the 737 Max, the latest season of Business wars, explores how Boeing, once the gold standard of aviation engineering, descended into a nightmare of safety concerns and public mistrust the decisions, denials and devastating consequences bringing the titan to its knees. And what, if anything, can save the company's reputation now? Follow Business wars on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge business the Unraveling of Boeing early and ad free right now on Wondery Plus.
- [16:46]
Lindsey Graham
It's July 29, 1866, at the Sisters of Church Charity Convent near Lord eight years after Bernadette Soubirous had her last vision of the virgin Mary. Now 22 years old but still small and frail, Bernadette stands in front of the building where she was taught as a child. Clutching a small bag, she knocks on the door and is welcomed in by the Mother Superior. After her visions became famous around the world, Bernadette struggled with the attention they brought her. Every day, hordes of visitors came to seek her and ask for her blessing, as if she were the holy figure and not the vision. She told them again and again that she was nothing special and that any miracles were thanks to God alone. But if anything, her humility only convinced people that there was something truly divine about her. Now, however, Bernadette has finally found a way to escape the relentless attention. She is becoming a nun, and here at the convent, she can work anonymously, helping the sick and caring for new mothers and their babies. But of course, even here she is still a source of fascination, though whenever she is asked about her experiences, she simply replies, the Virgin used me as a broom to remove the dust. When the work is done, the broom is put behind the door again. It is her way of saying that she was just a useful tool for God to speak to his flock and to reveal the waters at Lorne, which gain an even greater fame. As Bernadette settles into her new life of service in the convent, the church decrees that the waters are indeed a holy site, and an enormous basilica is built on the limestone cliff above the cave. When it's consecrated in 1876, 100,000 pilgrims attend the ceremony, but Bernadette never visits this newly built church. She remains content with her quiet life as a nun, including until her battles with ill health finally catch up with her. On April 16, 1879, she dies of tuberculosis at the age of just 35. News of her death reverberates around the Catholic world, and soon a campaign begins to have her recognized as a saint. The process is not a quick one, though, and five decades will pass before Bernadette Soubirous finally becomes Saint Bernadette. By then, the Catholic Church will have attributed dozens of miracles to the waters at Lourdes, and today the once poor and forgotten town still receives millions of visitors every year. They come to pray and to bathe in the blessed spring in the hopes, perhaps, of seeing a glimpse of the divine, as Bernadette Soubirud claims she did on February 11, 1858. Next on History Daily February 12, 1554 the usual usurper, Lady Jane Grey is executed after the shortest reign by any monarch in English history. From Noiser and Airship, this is History Daily Hosted, edited and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham Audio editing by Mohammed Shazi Sound design by Matthew Filler Music by Thrum this episode is written and researched by Rob Cromwell. Edited by William Simpson. Executive producers are William Simpson for Airship and Pascal Hughes for Nouser.
- [20:10]
H
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