Original subtitles

(Narrator) Shortly before she died, Bernadette said,

''Whatever is said about me, the simplest will be the best. ''

This has been taken from recorded history.

Nothing has been invented.

I toId you not to get too tired.

Don't fret, Mama.

I'm feeIing better aIready.

No. I don't want you to exert yourseIf.

You know what the doctor said.

Ready to move on?

Bernadette is exhausted. TeII her to stop.

No, Mama, no.

I forbid you to push it. CIimb up with Justin.

We're going downhiII now.

No, I want to heIp you.

So you're moving again, Francois?

Yes, Duran. We were a bit crowded

at the Rives.

Won't you come in and have a gIass of water?

Thank you, but we're expected. Besides, we're aImost there.

Let's go!

A bit crowded - Did you hear that?

They were thrown out. They're aIways penniIess.

Poor, wretched peopIe, with four chiIdren.

Do you know where they found sheIter?

- The oId jaiI. -At Sajous?

In one ceII... for the six of them.

Good heavens.

Too bad. Soubirous was a fine miIIer.

Come on in.

The door isn't Iocked, come on in.

You'II see. It's not too Iarge,

but things wiII work out.

Are you stiII here?

I toId you to cIear out before 9 o'cIock.

[repIies in Spanish] You oId thief,

rat, bIood-sucking--

[in Spanish] I never want to see you

here again, or I wiII have you thrown in jaiI.

[in Spanish] JaiI, jaiI, jaiI. You know nothing but jaiI.

Don't pay any attention to them.

These Spaniards are Iike fIies.

The more you chase them away,

the more they seem to return. But this one is the Iast.

Do come in. PIease.

Do come in.

Our Father, which art in heaven, bIess us in these thy gifts

which we are about to receive from thy bounty

through Jesus Christ, our Lord...Amen.

Eat sIowIy chiIdren, and dunk your bread deep in the broth.

Jean-Marie has aIready eaten aII his bread.

Too bad for him if he can't behave.

Why isn't there any mush?

Corn is much too expensive. In three months time the price

has increased from 1 3 to 7 francs.

But tomorrow when I start at the bakery we'II have wheat,

fIour and white bread.

Do you think you'II get the work?

In the past I was his favorite miIIer.

In the past.

No, Jean-Marie! That's Bernadette's portion.

You have no right to eat her bread,

especiaIIy whoIe wheat bread.

Just a smaII piece, mama. I'm not very hungry.

Your mother said no.

What are you doing there?

You're eating candIe wax now?. You've gone crazy!

It's not so bad, you know.

You shouId be ashamed of yourseIf -

inside the church. You've offended the Lord.

I'm hungry, you know.

No, that's yours.

I've eaten my portion.

- TruIy? - TruIy.

Eat sIowIy chiIdren... sIowIy.

You know you're becoming quite a big girI.

You're joking, Antoine.

Don't fiII the gIasses so fuII.

There shouIdn't be more than this.

- You understand? - Yes, Auntie.

When you've washed the gIasses, put the boiIer on the stove

and darn the Iinen. Don't forget to feed

the chiIdren at noon. You can eat with them.

Tonight you can take your parents a piece of Iard,

four pieces of sugar and a bottIe of wine.

And teII Louise to Iock up the bottIe.

You know your father.

We don't have any Iocks at home.

WeII, you know what I mean.

Yes, Auntie.

HaIf a quart onIy.

Are you taking this home?

No, it's for the oId Mother Barren.

I was going to say, five of you couId hardIy

get tipsy on this.

Drink it, BaIoune. It'II make you

feeI good aII over.

Don't worry my Bernadette, I have not stoIen

their sack of fIour. And they wiII sureIy

acknowIedge it. They must have made a mistake.

If you've done nothing, they can do nothing to you.

We'II see about the sack of fIour.

As for the pIank, your father has openIy

admitted to that.

What pIank?

The one that was in the courtyard behind the dung heap.

I thought we couId use it to make a fire.

We're going to compare these boot prints

with those of the thiefs.

Go back inside my chiId.

You mustn't catch coId.

Jean-Marie, come here.

What are you chewing?

A cherry.

Do you want to go to prison?

It wasn't ripe.

That's no excuse. You couId come down

with the coIic. Here, take this.

Noon.

Ready?

Is papa coming out soon?

The mayor said Friday.

At what time?

That he didn't say. He onIy said Friday.

Where's Bernadette?

She's in Bartres.

She wasn't at aII weII after you Ieft.

She was choking and coughing aII the time.

So with my sister we decided to send her

to her foster mother. At Ieast there she'II get

some fresh air and eat her fiII.

Yes, you were right.

And you? How are you?

I'm aII right. The mayor decided

to drop the charges. He agreed that it was not me

who stoIe the sack of fIour.

Hear that, chiIdren? Your father never

stoIe anything.

And you, Louise? How did you manage everything?

Very weII. I do Iaundry for two

more peopIe: Madame MiIhet, and Antoinette Peiret.

And mama wiII have work during the harvest.

[Man greets Bernadette in ItaIian]

The Soubirous famiIy aII send you their Iove.

You've seen my parents?

OnIy your father. He said to me that if you

see Bernadette, kiss her for me.

Is that aII he said?

He aIso said that times are bad and that Bernadette

shouId stay in Bartres.

Has he got any work?

He has a job at the stabIes.

I must go. FareweII.

FareweII, Payrot.

BIancou!!

Your IittIe one - what have you done with it?

BIancou! BIancou!

BIancou!

BIancou!

BIancou!

BIancou!

St. Joseph, St. Savin, return him to me.

He's so IittIe. Jesus and Mary,

my IittIe BIancou.

BIancou.

Ooh, you naughty IittIe rascaI.

Poor IittIe thing.

I beIieve in Jesus Christ, His onIy Son, our Lord.

Who was conceived by the HoIy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius PiIate.

Repeat.

Born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius...

Oh, you're just too dumb! You'II never be abIe to make

your first communion!

Marie.

If onIy I couId Iearn how to read,

I wouIdn't have to bother anyone.

Father Pomian in Lourdes promised he'd teach me.

What are you waiting for?

Go back to Lourdes!

I'm doing my best, but you don't remember anything.

I'm sIeepy, Marie.

HaiI Mary you know, and aIso Our Father,

but you aIways make mistakes in I BeIieve In God.

I BeIieve in God is so Iong. Tomorrow is Thursday.

Maybe I couId ask the priest here.

And the sheep? Sheep aIso eat on Thursdays.

Don't forget to do the dishes.

Have you understood?

(aII) Yes.

Who composes the HoIy Trinity?

No, not everyone at once.

You.

The Father.

Good.

You.

The Son.

Good.

You.

The HoIy Ghost.

Good.

And how many Gods are there?

(aII) Three.

Give me that back. Give it back.

Give me that back. AII right, out.

Three Gods. I ask you.

Father, I'd Iike to speak with you.

Bernadette, I wouId be happy to teach you the great

mysteries of our reIigion... but I'm Ieaving Bartres

on Sunday after mass.

You're Ieaving?

Yes.

Far away?

Very far away. To Normandy.

I've asked Monsignor Laurence to aIIow me to retreat

into a monastery.

You shouId go back to Lourdes.

There you can Iearn to read and then

you can make your first communion.

If you Iike, I'II write to Father Pomian.

Thank you, Father.

You're not famiIiar with the HoIy Scriptures.

That's true, Father. What I do know I know weII.

Can you expIain to me what is the HoIy Trinity?

The Father, the Son and the HoIy Ghost.

The Father, the Son, of course.

But what is the HoIy Ghost?

It is caIIed hoIy because it is the source of aII hoIiness...

and ghost because it comes from the Father and the Son

and is the source of aII Iife and Iove.

Do you understand?

It's a dove.

It is aIso the symboI of purity, and the hoIiness

of the Father and Son.

And so, the HoIy Trinity is?

One God in three persons.

You know nothing, but you understand everything.

Poor IittIe thing. Do you reaIIy think

she'II be back on Monday?

She said that to make us happy.

But I have a feeIing she has Ieft forever.

We'II have to pay a shepherd.

The one who does not beIieve in God is...

Is an a?

A?

Is an a... a??

The one who does not beIieve in God...

Do you aII have coIds?

No, Sister, it's her. She gave us tobacco to sniff.

You have tobacco?

Who gave you that?

Dr. Dozous, for my asthma.

Keep it to yourseIf.

Not everyone has asthma, thank the Lord.

The one who does not beIieve in God is an atheist.

One, two, three, four, five--

Bernadette Soubirous... I hear you want to make

your first communion. Father Ader wrote me

and had very nice things to say about you.

I've entered you in a preparatory catechism cIass.

Thank you, Father. Thank you!

There, there, baby.

For the Iove of God, stop coughing.

You'II wake everybody up. Your father must get up earIy

to go Iook for work.

I can't heIp it, mama. It's as if I'm being

ripped apart here.

I know, darIing.

I wish I couId take your iIIness away from you.

You shouId have stayed in Bartres.

You must go back there.

No, I want to make my first communion.

The priest promised me.

You see, I'm aIready feeIing better.

Sounds Iike you girIs are having fun.

We're off to fetch some wood.

There's pIenty of wood over there.

Bernadette won't go there.

Mr. Lafeet wouId be dispIeased if he found out.

TeII him I gave you permission.

Uh, no we shouIdn't.

But what is the one thing he doesn't Iack?

He has more trees than a dog has fIeas?

What are you doing?

I'm dressing the miIIstone.

Dressing it?

I'm giving it a new Iine so that it wiII function better.

With a hammer?

This is a pick ax.

Are these its teeth?

Yes. Oh, it's an oId stone,

but they stiII chew the grain.

My father never did that.

Oh, you just didn't see him.

But your father aIways reaIigned his stones.

He was a fine miIIer, your father.

Good Iuck, Antoine.

Why don't you go over to Lafeet's?

No probIem at aII, you know.

No, it's reaIIy not possibIe. Thank you, Antoine.

Hi, Samson.

Look over there, Iots of bones!

And driftwood!

HeIp me. Throw some rocks

into the water so I can cross over.

You onIy have to do Iike we did.

Ma doesn't want her to. She's afraid she'II catch coId.

That's why she's wearing stockings.

You want me to carry you on my back?

No, you're too smaII. Maybe you couId, BaIoune.

We have no time. Just pick up

what you find over there.

The basket.

Look at this.

Do you see that?

She's as white as a ghost.

It's the coId.

Bernadette!

Maybe she's dead.

If she were dead, she'd have coIIapsed.

Hey, Bernadette!

You see, stupid?

You couId come and give us a hand instead of

saying your prayers. We're not in church.

Why make such a fuss? The water isn't coId at aII.

You're not putting on your stockings?

Bernadette warms herseIf by saying her prayers.

Didn't you see anything?

See what?

AII I see is you haven't gathered anything.

Give me that.

Hurry up!

Oh! Poor me!

She hasn't her asthma anymore.

What did you see? TeII me.

- What did you see? - She saw nothing.

I saw--

What? Just me, I promise

not to teII anyone.

What about me?

Just the two of us.

I'm wiIIing to teII you, but I don't want anything

said at home because Ma wiII scoId me.

Cross my heart and hope to die.

I saw a woman dressed in white,

with a bIue sash and a yeIIow rose on each foot.

You're trying to scare us.

I'd so much Iike to see her again.

She's so beautifuI.

Liar, Iiar!

BeIieve me. I saw her.

I couIdn't even make the sign of the cross,

then she showed me that I couId.

A daydream. She saw nothing at aII.

AIexine gave me eight bits for the basket of bones,

which is one big Ioaf of bread.

Can I have a piece now?

Not untiI you expIain to me what you saw at MassabieiIIe.

Judas!

That's enough!

Now, wiII you teII me what you saw?

I saw something white.

Ouch! I didn't do anything.

I swear to you that it's true.

I saw her as I'm seeing you now -

a beautifuI young woman.

Poor me.

What did I do to deserve this?

Ma, she had such a beautifuI face.

Be quiet!

You saw a white stone, that's aII.

Oh, no.

I want so much to see her again.

I forbid you to return there.

ChiIdren! Happy days!

We eat again.

Are you pIeased?

Very pIeased.

You're a good man, Soubirous.

Do you wish to confess?

No.

What do you want then?

To speak to you - aIone.

I'm Iistening.

I saw something white. It had the form of a Iady.

Where?

At the pigs' grotto.

Is that going to be enough?

Oh, yes, Father. It'II do for two days.

And this is for the Doctor. Your EmiI shouId take care

of himseIf and regain aII his strength.

I'II never be abIe to--

Oh, no, no. Don't mention it.

Oh, no, no. Don't mention it.

I am intruding, pIease excuse me.

They toId me that you were here.

I need to taIk to you.

No probIem. But I must stiII

drop by the next farm. LittIe Jean-Marie is not weII.

We can taIk on the way. See you soon, Honorine.

I shaII ask Dr. Dozou to come by and have a Iook at EmiI.

I don't know how you manage. You have nothing

and you give everything away.

I am enriched by everything I give.

There is no end to it... after La SaIette, Betharram,

Garasion, now Lourdes has a visionary.

Listen Father, I hardIy know this IittIe

Soubirous girI, but I warn you: poverty is not aIways

a guarantee of a pure souI.

It was that sudden rush of wind that impressed me.

Remember the Acts of the ApostIes

and Pentecost?

And the tongues of fire that sat upon each of them.

Yes, yes.

They were aII fiIIed with the HoIy Ghost

and began to speak other Ianguages.

AdmirabIe, I agree. But that is the BibIe,

and your protégée is a IittIe girI from Lourdes,

Iike aII the others, who mistook a mountain breeze

for a saintIy spirit - nothing to make such a fuss about.

WeII, this is it.

I'II Ieave you here.

A word of advice, Father - don't get too worked up

about this matter.

It's disgracefuI.

An insuIt to our Lord.

And to our hoIy church.

What impudence.

Hey, you. Come here a minute.

So it's you who goes to MassabieiIIe.

If you return to that pIace, you wiII be Iocked up.

You hear me? Locked up.

Louise, don't Ieave without seeing me.

Of course, madame.

Do you think she'II do it?

She'II do it. She needs work badIy.

Let's see, 76 centimes for the Iaundry,

6 centimes for the quaIity of the work.

Oh, yes, yes, yes. And 6 centimes

for your kindness.

Thank you, madame. ReaIIy, I-

Shhh. My dear Louise,

I wouId Iike you to ask your IittIe Bernadette to take me

with her to MassabieiIIe.

To MassabieiIIe? But I forbid her

to return there. It's no good for her, madame.

She's in very poor heaIth.

Louise, your IittIe Bernadette is a genuine visionary.

Visionary?

Even if she aIone can see it, she sees it.

And what does she see? I'II find out.

If Bernadette is Iying, we wiII know it immediateIy.

My daughter never Iies.

PreciseIy. No one wiII know.

SIow down! I can't keep up with you.

God wiII punish you if you've been teIIing taIes.

HeIp me.

Be carefuI, madame. Don't sIip.

There she is.

Quick, the paper and pen.

Ask her to write her name.

Ask her.

But I did ask her.

And?

She started to Iaugh.

Ask the Iady if our presence is unpIeasant for her.

She said no. You may stay.

She said it is not necessary for me to write down

what I have to teII you.

Is that aII?

She aIso said, ''WouId you do me the favor

of returning here for 16 days?''

She said, ''WouId you do me the favor?''

And then she said, ''I can not promise that you'II

be happy in this Iife, but you wiII be in the next.''

The HoIy Virgin has appeared to a young girI in Lourdes.

That's what we read in the town newspaper.

That's what a paper dares to print in the second haIf

of the 19th century.

That paper has onIy picked up on my articIe

in Lauvadaunt two days ago, but I added that there is no

supernaturaI happening which can not be expIained scientificaIIy.

Quite right.

Doctor, what do you think of these haIIucinations

the young Soubirous girI is having?

Nothing indicates that the chiId is haIIucinating.

Even if she beIieves that she is seeing something

and that she is hearing someone,

that is in no way a sign of cerebraI derangement.

It's one of the characteristics of hysteria.

The diagnosis shouId never be made before an examination.

I wouId Iike to Iook into this much cIoser.

If you don't mind, Doctor, I'd reaIIy Iike to come.

You want to get mixed up in this nonsense -

you, a civiI servant?

One can be a tax coIIector and aIso a sensitive man.

Thank you, officer.

GentIemen, the danger is greater than we thought.

Right now there are hundreds of peopIe at the grotto.

What does the imperiaI prosecutor think?

WeII, I'm a judge and I ask myseIf,

to whose advantage is it? In our time, nothing is done

without a poIiticaI motive. When the HoIy Virgin appears

to the daughter of a simpIe Iaborer,

it is a poIiticaI act for whose profit?

The church, which is to say the cIergy,

which is to say the RoyaIists.

The visions of MassabieiIIe undoubtedIy benefit the Bourbons

and their hopes of restoration.

ExactIy.

I know severaI RepubIican priests.

Oh, what a beautifuI picture.

When the HoIy Virgin sees the way you Iook right now,

she wiII no Ionger say that you won't have

happiness in this worId.

The HoIy Virgin?

I never said she was the HoIy Virgin.

This IittIe one is wonderfuI, don't you think, Antoinette?

You'd say she dined out aII her Iife.

Good wine can never hurt you, my chiId.

Yes, I know, madame. Wine is good for asthma.

My mother gives it to me from time to time.

Good night, my chiId.

Tomorrow after Mass we'II go together to the grotto.

Again.

My daughter's not here. She won't be coming

home tonight. I'm sorry.

PIease give her this anyway on behaIf

of CeIestine Labarue.

No, no. I mustn't.

You must not give us anything.

Why didn't you accept the basket?

There were eggs and chestnuts.

That's enough. Bernadette wouIdn't want it.

She's eating at Madame MiIhet's.

Madame MiIhet gives me two washes a week.

I can't refuse her. And since Bernadette

eats with her, we have more at our tabIe.

Let us pray.

Let us pray.

ChiIdren, Iet us praise the Lord.

(aII) Our Father, who art in heaven, haIIowed be Thy name.

Thy kingdom come, Thy wiII be done on earth

as it is in heaven. Give us this day

our daiIy bread and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

You'II burn me.

Penance!

Penance!

If I have understood you, you are bIaming me

for my Iack of comprehension. I am considered harsh,

doctrinaire and strict, I know. My dear Pomian,

I know how you feeI about the Soubirous girI.

You were an immediate beIiever. And you, Father Serre,

you are being pestered by your parishioners

who want to pubIicize these visions.

Am I right?

Above aII, they must be comforted in their faith,

and their faith teIIs them that the visions are reaI.

And you, dear friend, you didn't hesitate,

and you were the onIy one to join the crowd

with the faithfuI at the grotto.

If you had seen, as I saw, the transfiguration of the chiId

whiIe she was conversing with the HoIy Virgin.

The HoIy Virgin! Nothing Iess than that!

And what's more, she converses!

And what does she say, this fine HoIy Virgin?

Penance. Penance.

My friends, I'm responsibIe for this parish.

You are my vicars, and I have compIete confidence in you.

But we must be very cautious in examining these events.

If this is some kind of a trick and we faII into

the trap, the entire church wiII be discredited.

Now either this chiId is having haIIucinations, or we must admit

the presence of the supernaturaI.

The church was born from miracIes.

It grew because of miracIes.

Our cassock represents humiIity. Right now, everything is very

mixed up: piety, devotion, exuItation...hysteria.

We must cIear up these muddy waters.

What did she say?

What did you ask her?

Is it true she said, ''Penance, penance?''

Yes, it's true.

And when you kissed the ground?

The Iady asked me to. She said, ''Pray to God

to convert the sinners.''

Let me through.

Are you Bernadette Soubirous?

Yes, sir.

You're to come with me.

Yes, sir. Wherever you Iike.

Poor Bernadette. They're going to put you in jaiI.

I'm not afraid.

If they put me in, they'II Iet me out.

You're through making faces now.

(kids) Serves you right! Serves you right!

There's no business for you here!

Go home!

So it seems you see the HoIy Virgin.

I never said she was the HoIy Virgin.

WeII, then, you saw nothing.

Oh, yes. I definiteIy saw something.

And what did you see?

Something white.

Something or someone?

It had the shape of a girI.

Everywhere in town they say that she is the HoIy Virgin,

even the newspaper has printed it.

And this young woman, is she pretty?

Oh, yes.

Pretty Iike Madame PaIhasson or Madame Dufo?

They don't even come cIose.

May I?

By aII means, my friend.

And the nuns - did you taIk to the sisters?

To the Mother Superior and to the sister

who teaches us sewing.

And what did they say?

That I had a dream.

WeII, you see you had a dream.

No, I was wide awake.

You thought you had seen something.

But I saw her severaI times. I couIdn't make

a mistake every time.

Oh, yes, your imagination was working overtime!

You said that the first time no one eIse saw anything.

Not your sister nor your friend BaIoune.

I can't expIain it, but I'm positive that I saw the Iady.

Bernadette, Iisten. Everyone is Iaughing at you.

Everyone is saying that you're Iying, that you're crazy.

Isn't that right?

For your own good, you must not return to the grotto.

I promised to go for the next 16 days.

But you have made a mistake.

Be reasonabIe, and do not go back again.

I promised.

Quick! To the poIice for Bernadette.

Hey, men!

They've arrested Bernadette! We must get her out of jaiI!

Let's go!

I must have Francois. Her father must defend her.

He's at the stabIes.

- I'II go. - I'II go with you.

Just teII me who made you wonderfuI promises if you

agreed to spin this yarn.

Nobody.

You'd do better to admit it since I aIready know.

I'm onIy trying to find out if you're teIIing the truth.

I toId the truth.

No, you're Iying. If you'II admit that,

I'II work everything out quietIy and nothing more wiII be said.

But if not, you wiII be in serious troubIe.

Do as you wish, sir.

How much money did Madame MiIhet give you?

Money?

She took you into her home and toId you what to do.

She wanted me to stay with her, but I went home.

So, you're not even capabIe of keeping order!

Go and get reinforcements! Use the back entrance!

She's in there, Iocked up Iike a thief!

We must rescue her!

We must find out what's what, as to do nothing iIIegaI.

To summon, my name is Bernadette Soubirous, etc.

On the 11th of February, at MassabieiIIe,

the HoIy Virgin appeared to me.

I did not say the HoIy Virgin.

AII right. A 19-year-oId girI appeared.

No. I said 16 to 1 7 years oId.

If you Iike. This young Iady was wearing

a bIue dress with a white sash.

You've misunderstood....

You shouId write a white dress with a bIue sash.

This young woman, as beautifuI as Madame PaIhasson,

had hair which feII down her back Iike a veiI.

No, sir. You've changed everything.

I said...more beautifuI than aII the Iadies,

and I bareIy saw her hair.

But you did teII me aII that!

No, sir.

- Yes! - No.

Liar!

Everybody is running after you.

I never asked anyone to foIIow me there.

You Iike to show off before everybody, huh?

No. I'm tired.

So, if you're tired, just say you saw nothing.

But I did see something.

If you keep it up, you aII wiII be arrested

and brought to court!

Let Bernadette go!

Bernadette! Bernadette! Bernadette!

Francois, get her out of there!

The poIice chief is wrong.

He has no right to question her without your consent.

For the Iast time, wiII you confess?

Sir, I toId you the truth.

Listen carefuIIy, Bernadette. I can arrange aII this

between us on one condition: admit that you saw nothing!

Sir, the girI's father is here.

AII right, show him in.

Soubirous, I'm gIad to see you. I was going to send for you.

Bernadette, you may Ieave.

Soubirous, this fiction can not go on.

You are attracting peopIe to your house.

Me?

I know everything. The IittIe one herseIf

is tired of aII these peopIe running after her.

She's fed up with being compeIIed to go out there.

But we tried to stop her.

Soubirous, I'm wiIIing to beIieve you.

But pIease don't send your daughter out there again.

You don't want to go back to prison, do you?

Sir, aII I want is to foIIow your orders.

It's true that my wife and I are tried of being harassed

on account of our daughter.

We wouId prefer that Bernadette doesn't return to MassabieiIIe.

Perfect. Your word is good enough for me.

That girI is quite capabIe of defending herseIf.

She's sincere, that's aII.

It's obvious she's fabricating.

No one couId fabricate such a taIe in such a taIe.

My dear friend, you'd make a very incompetent poIiceman.

Hooray for Bernadette!

Hooray! Hooray!

How did Jacqueomet treat you, Bernadette?

He was shaking, and the tasseI on his cap

went to and fro - ding, ding.

These dreary incidents in Lourdes demonstrate

These dreary incidents in Lourdes demonstrate

the materiaI and spirituaI inferiority to which

the popuIation of the southern provinces seem condemned.

And they are not aIone. AII the IocaI newspapers

are attacking us.

I can't heIp it. Seeing this young girI

has given me food for thought.

Ask them to wait.

After aII, if they've waited 46 years to get married,

they can wait another five minutes.

In this memo, the Prefect wants me to report what measures

are being taken to put an end to these disturbances.

WeII, after aII, I can't put the HoIy Virgin in jaiI.

According to the Iaw, having supernaturaI visions

is no crime, even if the HoIy Virgin is invoIved.

Let me remind you that we couId get rid of the Soubirous girI

by estabIishing that she's pIay acting, or she's insane.

Bernadette Soubirous is absoIuteIy sane.

As to pIay acting, what I have seen in person ruIes out

any possibiIity of faking.

You have onIy to see the chiId in her ecstasy

to beIieve that she is utterIy sincere.

I saw Madame RocheIIe in the theater in Bourdeaux.

She was superb but much Iess convincing than Bernadette.

She's Madame RocheIIe now?

I read your report, Doctor. The business of the fIame

which didn't burn - we've aIready seen

that trick with magicians.

Bernadette Soubirous is no magician.

She's a poor chiId, perfectIy genuine.

When I examined her hand after it had been in contact

with the fIame for two minutes, there was absoIuteIy

no trace of a burn.

The future of our city is at stake.

I have done aII that is possibIe to modernize this town,

and aII my efforts are going up in smoke.

- Mr. Mayor? - Yes, I'm coming.

I agree that it is difficuIt to forbid visions,

but isn't there some kind of action we can take?

GentIemen, you know that the French empire has signed

a treaty with the HoIy See. ArticIe IX states that

the church can not create new sanctuaries without the specific

authorization of the ImperiaI Minister.

I aIso am toId that the parish priest responsibIe for Lourdes

is not terribIy happy about the visions at the grotto.

That's true. He has spoken about it

from the puIpit.

GentIemen, I ask you this question:

when the reveIations of this IittIe girI are known,

who is going to vote for the extension of the raiIroad,

or the new waterworks, and the hoteIs for tourists

from Paris? That is the reaI probIem.

His honor, the mayor.

There's somebody waiting for you upstairs.

Who is it?

You'II soon find out.

My name is Bernadette Soubirous.

Oh, it's you.

Of course.

What do you want?

Father, the Iady at the grotto gave me a message for you.

For me? What Iady?

A very beautifuI Iady who speaks to me at MassabieiIIe.

She's in a niche just above some wiId primroses.

Do you know her name?

No, Father.

WeII, didn't you ask her?

Yes. But she began to Iaugh.

The newspaper says it is the HoIy Virgin.

I never said that she was the HoIy Virgin.

Everyone beIieves it, which amounts to the same thing.

AII of those who foIIow you out there.

I never asked anyone to foIIow me there.

What does she want, your beautifuI Iady?

She said to me, ''Go teII the priests

that they shouId buiId a chapeI.''

A chapeI? Where?

At the grotto.

Not a Iarge one.

Just a smaII chapeI... very simpIe.

Do you have any money?

- No, Father. - Nor do I.

Listen to me Bernadette, those who are so bIindIy

foIIowing you beIieve that it is the Virgin Mary.

I don't know if she is the Virgin Mary, Father.

But I see her as I'm seeing you now.

If you wish me to beIieve you, you shouId first ask this

beautifuI Iady her name.

Yes, Father.

And if she beIieves she's entitIed to a chapeI,

teII her for me that she shouId prove it by producing a miracIe.

And since there is a briar patch in your grotto,

teII her to make it bIoom, in the middIe of February.

I'II ask her, Father.

Now get out.

I have more serious things to do.

Did you come aIone?

No, Father, with my Aunt Castero.

Where is she?

She's waiting for me outside.

Madame Castero? Are you this poor

IittIe girI's Aunt? I regret that you are

a member of a deceitfuI and troubIe-making famiIy.

A word of advice, madame, keep your niece at home.

And stop her from disturbing this town.

If not, you wiII have to answer to me!

I toId you he was a stubborn and crabby man.

You shouId have taIked with Father Pomian first.

He doesn't have to beIieve me.

I've passed on the message.

I must go back! I forgot to mention

about the procession!

Father, I forgot to teII you something!

The Iady aIso asked that the peopIe come

to the grotto in a procession.

So that's the one who sees the Virgin?

I never beIieved in her visions.

RidicuIous!

We couId have sIept another hour.

Ha, ha, RocheIIe. Ha!

What a pity.

What a pity.

TeII me, what made you do such things?

The Iady toId me to drink from the fountain

and to wash myseIf. I thought she meant the river,

but then she signaIed me to dig under the rocks.

It wasn't easy to swaIIow that dirty water.

I didn't think I'd be abIe to.

And those weeds that you ate?

She toId me to.

PeopIe think that you're crazy, you know.

The Iady toId me,

''Pray for the saIvation of the sinners.''

What's wrong with that girI?

I don't know. She's not from Lourdes.

Where do you come from?

From Luz. I came on today's coach.

I wanted to see the saint, but I'm afraid it's too Iate.

When I say see, it's just a manner of speaking.

I can't bear the Iight.

I see a IittIe bit at night... Iike a cat.

What is your name?

Eugenie Trois. And yours?

Go with God, Eugenie.

And your name?

She isn't weII!

PIease, don't upset her. One person at a time.

These are my IittIe MatiIde's beads.

I waIked here from Ibarat.

But I'm not a priest.

I have no right!

No, no, you mustn't!

Thank you. Thank you very much.

Take a deep breath.

I can see, Doctor! I can see through this eye!

What are you saying, Bouriette? Have you gone mad?

I teII you. I can see out of my bad eye!

I've been cured!

My friend, that is not possibIe.

It's the water at MassabieiIIe.

I washed my face in it, and haIf an hour Iater

I couId see with this eye as weII as with the other.

It wasn't you who cured me, Doctor.

It was the HoIy Virgin.

Give me a minute, pIease.

I can see everything, as I see you.

You, your green tie, your goId ring -

even that IittIe moIe you have on your cheek.

Can you read, Bouriette?

A- A IittIe, not too much.

WeII, if you can read this, I'II beIieve you.

Uh, Bouriette, has an amo-- amorosis, which is incurabIe.

His Ieft eye is useIess.

I figured out aII the Ietters.

Good day, Doctor.

Good day, Sajous.

What do you think of this, Doctor?

Croisine, what are you doing?

Let me go!

She'II kiII the chiId, Doctor. The water's icy.

You know very weII he can't be cured, Croisine.

He's a dead boy!

No, he's not dead! He's not going to die!

The Virgin wiII save him!

Oh, My God! My God!!

HaiI Mary, fuII of grace. Tender and Ioving Mother,

IncomparabIe Virgin, morning star fIowering

with the Spring roses, haven for sinners.

Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.

HaiI Mary, fuII of grace...

I am the ImmacuIate Conception.

[repeats severaI times]

I am the ImmacuIate Conception.

What are you saying?

I asked the Iady who she was and she said,

''I am the ImmacuIate Conception.''

But this Iady cannot say such a thing.

You are deceiving yourseIf, or you are deceiving me.

I've repeated it over and over.

Do you know what ImmacuIate Conception means?

No, Father.

No one has ever taIked to you about it?

Think hard.

Your confessor, Father Pomian?

Or Father Ater at Bartres?

No, Father. No one ever.

Mother AIexandrine Rocque? Or that siIIy Madam MiIhet?

No. I'm sure about her.

I asked her about making the briar bIoom.

I toId her that you wanted it to fIower.

She just smiIed but didn't answer.

I feIt that she was Iaughing at me.

ImmacuIate - do you know what that means?

Something cIean.

And conception?

Come aIong. We'II cIear this matter up.

Good day, Croisine. I brought Dr. Lacrampe with me,

whom you aIready know. Don't you remember?

He's the one who took care of your IittIe boy

when he first feII iII two years ago.

I toId him what I saw at the grotto, and he and I

wouId Iike to examine your chiId.

My son is cured. He no Ionger needs any doctors.

JuIian. Come here a minute, my Iamb.

Since yesterday he's been hopping about Iike a rabbit.

He thinks of nothing but food.

In the past he couId hardIy open his mouth.

This morning he drank a Iarge gIass of miIk.

Excuse me, I have soup boiIing on the stove.

There you are.

The fusions in coId water, especiaIIy if repeated frequentIy,

can be very heIpfuI in the treatment

of certain disorders. But, in generaI, they shouId

not Iast more than a few minutes.

A quarter of an hour - That woman heId her dying chiId

in that icy water for 16 minutes.

In ApriI of '66, I diagnosed ricketts.

In August, high fever, no refIexes,

progressive paraIysis of the Iimbs.

I even wrote, death might occur any minute.

Three weeks ago the paraIysis in his thigh was unchanged.

Moreover, the nerve endings were dead.

So?

So, I don't get it. AII I know is that the chiId

has never waIked since he was born.

And a week ago he was so cIose to death that his uncIe,

the carpenter, had aIready made his IittIe coffin.

And today - weII, you saw the boy.

The HoIy Virgin was absoIved from the guiIt of originaI sin

the first minute of her existence in her mother's womb.

It was a speciaI favor, granted by God,

in recognition of His future son,

our Lord Jesus Christ.

That is the ImmacuIate Conception.

Do you understand?

Not very weII, Father.

Of course. It's difficuIt to understand,

even for the initiated. But understand one thing:

the HoIy Virgin cannot say,

''I am the ImmacuIate Conception.''

She couId say, at the most, ''I am the ImmacuIate Virgin,''

or, ''I am ImmacuIate Mary.'' But, she cannot be at one

in the same time the fruit and the tree.

Maybe she's Iike me and doesn't speak too weII.

I'd Iike to know, how did she teII you that?

''I am the ImmacuIate Conception.''

Bernadette, in a few weeks you are going to make

your first communion. For the first time

you are going to approach the HoIy AItar.

You wouIdn't Iie to me, wouId you?

I wouId prefer that you own up and confess that you

made a mistake - that someone whispered these words to you.

I won't hoId it against you.

I can't say that, Father. It wouId be a Iie.

WeII...aII right.

Finish your miIk.

I'm not thirsty anymore.

Father, the Iady stiII wants her chapeI.

She toId me so again.

I wiII think about it. I promise.

Go with God, Bernadette.

And thank you for the message.

And having prepared your souI, turn yourseIf toward meditation.

Stop.

What is meditation, Bernadette?

It is composure to refIect on ones own conduct.

It is asking oneseIf why one makes errors,

and Iooking for ways to prevent making them.

Very good. Continue.

Sister, excuse me for interrupting your cIass.

I need to taIk to Bernadette Soubirous.

Where are we going?

To the infirmary - Dr. BaIencie is waiting for you.

- Is it for my asthma? - No doubt.

But Dr. Dozous is Iooking after me.

Dr. Dozous is an exceIIent doctor, but he's not

a speciaIist in respiratory diseases.

I'II Ieave you here.

Come in.

Come in, my chiId.

GentIemen, this is Bernadette Soubirous.

This is Dr. Lacrampe, and this is Dr. Peyrus.

They're your friends. They onIy wish you weII.

Sit down, Bernadette.

I'm feeIing much better now. I hardIy cough at aII.

Do you have headaches at times?

No.

When did you have your Iast nervous breakdown?

I've never had one.

Your heaIth is rather poor, is it not?

I eat and drink weII, and I sIeep pretty weII.

- How much is 7 times 6? - 36.

And 1 7 times 38?

That you must have caIcuIated aIready, sir.

Here...touch this.

Do you feeI it? A bump.

HonestIy, I don't feeI anything.

Perhaps here, a IittIe bit underneath.

That's from when I feII down the stairs.

This protuberance is aImost aIways found in cases of

congenitaI aIienation. In psychiatry we caII it,

informaIIy, the bump of - if you see what I mean.

You see a Iady in the grotto?

Like I'm seeing you now.

Why is it that you are the onIy one who can see her?

I don't know.

When one can see a Iady who nobody eIse sees,

that is a sign of iIIness, my chiId.

I don't see her anymore.

She's gone.

You can no Ionger say that I'm sick.

Aren't you afraid when you see aII those peopIe

around you at the grotto?

At the grotto I don't see anyone.

Don't be afraid. You wiII feeI a IittIe prick.

Ouch!

Did it hurt you?

Yes! If I did that to you

you'd feeI it, too!

Bernadette, why don't you take a IittIe waIk.

We have things to discuss.

Why don't you come back in 10 minutes.

You're not in cIass?

No, Father.

In fact, I have come to see the Mother Superior about you.

Are you being punished?

No. I was toId to come back in 10 minutes.

Who toId you that?

Dr. BaIancie and the other doctors.

What do they want with you?

To cure my asthma. For that they rubbed my

head as if they were Iooking for Iice.

Where are they?

In the infirmary.

Come with me.

We can't possibIy Iock up this chiId when we know

she's not crazy.

The authorities want a certification of madness.

Our domain is medicine, not administration.

They aIready have a voIuminous fiIe on the

mentaI heaIth of this chiId.

Come in.

Good morning, gentIemen. This young Iady teIIs me

you are considering a cure for her asthma.

I think that is an exceIIent initiative,

but may I remind you that her own doctor,

Dr. Dozous, has been treating her untiI now.

To teII the truth, Father, we have been instructed

to examine not onIy her physicaI heaIth,

but aIso her mentaI heaIth.

Instructed by whom?

Prefect Massy.

At whose request?

The ImperiaI Prosecutor. Under the Iaw of June 30th, 1838,

which authorizes him to investigate aII possibIe

cases of mentaI disease.

And to Iock them up in the event of a positive diagnosis.

Is that right?

Who is taIking about internment?

It's simpIy a question of observation for the good

of the sick person.

But Bernadette is not sick!

Come here.

Look cIoseIy at this chiId, gentIemen.

She's in perfect heaIth, apart from the asthma,

and I defy you to find even the sIightest trace

of mentaI disease.

We're not saying that.

But she is an unusuaIIy sensitive young girI.

It's possibIe that a ray of sunIight gIancing off a niche

in a rock gives the iIIusion of human form.

Are you a speciaIist in mentaI disease, Doctor?

Professor with the Academy of Science in TouIouse.

WeII, Professor, I am pIeased to inform you

that Bernadette is of absoIuteIy no interest to you.

We are acting in the name of the heaIth authorities

of this region. The Prefect wishes that

Miss Soubirou be pIaced under observation.

GentIemen, you have examined Bernadette.

Is she raving mad? Is she a menace to the pubIic?

No one is taIking about madness, nor a menace to the pubIic.

WeII, then pIease teII the honorabIe ImperiaI Prosecutor

that Bernadette wiII not enter a mentaI asyIum.

He knows her as weII as I do.

Anyone who thinks she's crazy is mad himseIf!

Or a rascaI!

Your 1838 Iaw is aimed at vioIent peopIe who are

foaming at the mouth. WouId you dare to invoke it?

If you do, know that as of today, this chiId

is under my protection. You can go to the poIice

for heIp, but teII them to be weII armed,

for they wiII have to waIk over my dead body first.

Come, my IittIe crazy one.

And these gentIemen concIude - Iisten to this, my friend -

the iIIness which Bernadette might have in no way

threatens her heaIth.

Sounds Iike MoIiere. And it took three

of them to write this.

During aII this time, the grotto is becoming

more and more crowded. There's hardIy any room

for aII the candIes and such.

Three separate spouts are pouring out 360 cubic feet

of water a day. There is even an aItar.

How Iong before they start hoIding Mass?

I am a good Christian, but we must queII this superstition

in the name of reIigion itseIf!

Attention!

''By the order of the Prefect of the Pyrenees,

the mayor informs the popuIation of Lourdes that it is forbidden

to everybody, in whatever manner,

to visit the MassabieiIIe grotto, to pray there,

or to take the water in whatever form.''

GentIemen, I have the honor to inform you that

the miracuIous power of the water from MassabieiIIe

has been discovered. An anaIysis made by our friend

Piassone has reveaIed that this water has puritive quaIities

indeed, but faith has nothing to do with it.

It's in the components of the water itseIf.

It is rich in carbonates, chIoride, siIicate,

magnesium, and phosphorous. I have asked the iIIustrious

Professor PhiIo, an expert in hydroIogy,

to confirm this anaIysis. But gentIemen, we can aIready

ceIebrate the water from Lourdes without hesitation.

Greetings, Mr. Mayor. The barriers which were put up

by the grotto this morning...

You shouId have stopped them!

That's what I tried to do, Mr. Mayor.

- They didn't dare! - Were there a Iot of them?

Everybody was there! AII of the quarry workers,

the sIate miners, the peasants.

NicoIo, the miIIer, Ied the attack.

Lord, I'm not worthy that you shouId enter into my heart.

You wiII find in me onIy weakness and misery.

Say onIy one word and my souI shaII be heaIed.

[Father speaking Latin]

Bernadette is a girI born among our peopIe.

She beIongs to us. The bourgeoisie is persecuting

her with the poIice, with the prosecutor,

with the doctors! And why?

Not onIy because she has seen the HoIy Virgin,

but because she's poor!

What they want is to forbid the poor access to the water,

which couId cure them, so that they may seII it

and fiII their pockets. We won't Iet them do it!

(aII) That's right!

Ten hut.

Fix bayonets.

Let's go.

HaIt! I have orders to shoot.

Stop this. Antoine, you ass.

Can't you see they'II open fire?

What are you risking your necks for?

Water?

Water that can be found everywhere in these mountains.

It's Bernadette we're fighting for!

We have the right to pray to the HoIy Virgin in the grotto.

The water from the spring heaIed me.

And it has cured others:

IIIam Bouse, Bernadette Soube, Fabio Barrone.

When this water runs red with your bIood,

it wiII not be heaIing anyone.

Go home. Go back to work.

If you compeI these men to open fire on you,

they wiII repent for the rest of their Iives,

and they wiII have kiIIed Bernadette.

Is that what you want?

The HoIy Virgin has asked for a chapeI to be buiIt here -

and it wiII be done.

I herewith take the pIedge before you.

No one wiII stop me.

Antoine, you are a good man.

That'II be 600 francs.

600 francs?

That's the Iaw.

I never carry money.

What's going on here?

Madam cannot pay the fine.

In that case, take her to the poIice station.

To whom do I have the honor of speaking?

Jacqueomet. Chief of poIice.

I'm the AdmiraI's wife, Governess to his

ImperiaI Highness, Prince Louis NapoIeon.

Sir, the IittIe prince is quite iII.

Her Majesty's counting very much on the water from Lourdes

to cure her son.

WouId you refuse this Iast chance to the Emperor's son?

The Iaw is the Iaw.

Good evening, Countess.

The Empress is impatientIy waiting for you.

How is the IittIe ImperiaI Highness?

Not weII.

At Iast!

How is he?

For two days he's been running a fever,

and he has a terribIe cough.

Madam, here is the water from MassabieiIIe.

May the Lord be bIessed. QuickIy, a gIass

and a handkerchief.

MademoiseIIe, it has onIy been three days

since you Ieft, and you are back aIready.

I was abIe to get the first train out of town.

AImost 70 miIes in 6 hours, it's fabuIous.

You're sure this water is from the grotto?

I myseIf fiIIed the bottIe, Madam.

Thank you.

Your cigarette.

Oh, sorry.

His face is stiII very fIushed, don't you think?

Is he coughing a Iot?

Yes. But after he drinks this,

I'm sure that he'II be much better.

What is it?

Water.

What kind of water?

Water from MassabieiIIe.

You shouId have asked my advice, Madam.

Louis, given the urgency of the situation,

I have the right to try everything.

The baby has diphtheria, and a membrane infection.

Every day hundreds of peopIe have been cured by this water.

PeopIe wiII Iaugh at us.

I'm a IiberaI. Don't forget that.

Since the beginning of these happenings at Lourdes,

my government has taken the position of opponents.

My IiberaI friends are going to scream bIoody murder

when they Iearn I treat my son with water from MassabieiIIe.

''Open immediateIy to the pubIic,

the grotto situated to the west of Lourdes.

The order of the 8th of June, 1 868, is canceIIed.

Signed, NapoIean III, Emperor of France.''

The coward.

Come in.

Are you aII aIone?

My parents have gone with the procession.

Justin is Iooking after me.

I hear you are sick.

The usuaI thing. Maybe a IittIe worse this time.

When I hear aII these peopIe...

No, don't try to get up.

The Iady was right when she said I wouIdn't be happy down here.

Just wait untiI you get up there.

What a revenge? Surrounded by angeIs.

I have good news for you.

Monsignor Laurence has decided to appoint

a commission to investigate your case.

And I am to be part of it.

What do they want to know?

Oh, they're going to ask exactIy what happened at the grotto.

Again? I've aIready toId it.

Not everything.

There are things which are onIy for me.

The Iady said so.

The HoIy Virgin.

The chapeI she requested of you wiII be buiIt.

Work is to begin soon. We owe that to you.

I've done nothing. I just passed on the message.

WouId you Iike to join the sisters at the hospice?

I'd Iove to.

I'm very tired, and aII this noise.

But the sisters wouId never take me.

I'm too poor and I'm not good for anything, except to be sick.

As soon as you are feeIing better, you wiII be admitted

as a postuIant with the sisters.

It's been arranged with Mother AIexandrine Roque.

My parents.

I can't Ieave them. I Iove them too much.

My mother needs me to heIp with my two brothers.

I have managed to rent the ground miII for them.

They can Iive there. And your father can

work at his trade. Your mother wiII not have

to go out to work.

Thank you, Father.

I've done nothing.

It's simpIy another miracIe from the HoIy Virgin.

(CounciI) Are you proud that you had the priviIege

of seeing the HoIy Virgin?

Oh no. I'm onIy her servant.

Why you? So uneducated and so poor?

Perhaps that's why. If the HoIy Virgin had found

somebody poorer than me, she might have chosen her.

The HoIy Virgin apparentIy confided some secrets to you.

What are they?

If I teII you, they'II no Ionger be secrets.

WeII teII us at Ieast if these secrets concern the church,

or France, or the Pope.

No. They have nothing to do

with the church, nor France, nor the Pope.

They concern onIy me.

WiII you teII them to the HoIy Father if he asks you?

The Iady toId me not to teII them to any person.

The Pope is a person.

He is the Vicar of Jesus Christ.

That's true. The Pope is powerfuI on Earth,

but the HoIy Virgin is in Heaven.

Did the HoIy Virgin teII you the hour you wouId die?

Do you know the hour of your death?

WouId you Iike to rest for a moment, my dear?

No, Monsignor, I can taIk.

You are aware MassabieiIIe's spring water has aIready

miracuIousIy heaIed sick peopIe who were considered incurabIe

by their doctors?

I've been toId, but I haven't seen it for myseIf.

You have drunk this spring water.

How do you expIain that it has not cured you?

Perhaps the HoIy Virgin wants me to suffer.

Why?

Perhaps I need to suffer.

Why?

That, onIy God knows.

Did the HoIy Virgin have a haIo?

WeII, you know, a goIden ring circIing the head,

Iike the statue of St. Savin in the church.

No, Father. She stood onIy in a white Iight

that shone before she appeared, and stayed on

a whiIe after she'd gone.

It does not seem to be a very suitabIe suggestion

by the HoIy Virgin to ask you to eat weeds.

Everyone eats saIad.

This story about the weeds, it's a bit difficuIt

to beIieve, my chiId.

I haven't been asked to make you beIieve it.

I've onIy been asked to teII you about it.

She was beautifuI, wasn't she?

Oh, yes. Much more than just beautifuI.

What coIor were her eyes?

BIue.

And her hair?

I didn't see it because of the veiI.

How did the HoIy Virgin stand when she wasn't

saying her rosary.

Don't move.

You moved again!

My knees hurt.

OnIy three minutes without moving.

Three minutes!

I'm not asking the impossibIe.

I'd Iike to see you in my pIace.

It's this thing on my back.

AII right, Iet's try again.

Look up - higher, as if you were

seeing the Virgin.

Except that she's not there.

Don't move.

Bernadette, you are expected in the parIor.

Again?

Excuse me, Father. You can continue

this session a bit Iater.

I'm sure you wiII turn out masterpieces for us.

The modeI deserves it.

I was toId that I wouId be Ieft in peace here.

It's not my fauIt that you are so popuIar with the peopIe.

I'm being shown off Iike a circus freak.

I wouId much prefer a boarder who spent her time

in her room meditating.

I don't know how to meditate.

Don't Iook bored when they question you,

and don't refuse any gifts from the visitors.

It's not honest money.

You must accept it for our charitabIe work.

Yes, Mother.

BIess me, Sister.

PIease take it. It comes from Rome.

In exchange give me anything -

a pebbIe which you have touched,

a gIance from the eyes which have seen

the Mother of Christ.

You wiII see that I have done exactIy what Bernadette

You wiII see that I have done exactIy what Bernadette

has asked of me. It's the HoIy Virgin

as described to me by her in every precise detaiI.

It's wonderfuI.

This is a masterpiece.

She never raised her head that high.

The HoIy Virgin aIways Iooks toward heaven.

When I saw her she aIways Iooked down to me.

But you do find her beautifuI?

Yes...but it's not the Iady of MassabieiIIe.

WeII, finaIIy, is this it, or is it not?

This is it... but it's not it.

She has a goiter.

Thank you.

You can go back to your sewing.

Thank you, Mother.

Enough. Enough!

Monsignor Laurence has just pubIished

the concIusions of the commission.

He recognizes that Bernadette Soubirous reaIIy saw

the ImmacuIate Virgin in the MassabieiIIe grotto.

I reaIize, Monsignor, you are most eager to meet the chiId.

But in case she shouId be tempted by some vein gIory,

I suggest you wait for a favorabIe occasion.

That's her.

Mother Superior, couId I have a few minutes

aIone with Bernadette?

Of course, Monsignor.

Bernadette Soubirous, Monsignor.

And now, my chiId, what wiII you do?

Nothing.

What do you mean, nothing? There are things to be

accompIished down here, in this Iife.

I'm with the sisters.

Of course, but momentariIy.

I'd Iike to stay here.

That's easy to say. You have been taken in

temporariIy by charity, but you cannot stay here.

Why?

Because you are not a nun. And it is indispensabIe

to become one if you wish to continue this Iife.

Perhaps you wish to enter into the worId?

Oh, no.

Then why don't you become a nun?

It's not possibIe.

I'd never be abIe to bring the dowry.

When we recognize a true vocation,

we weIcome that person, even without a dowry.

But I don't know anything. I'm good for nothing.

I know very weII that you are good for something.

What is that?

To peeI carrots!

And there is another thing that you can do: ring beIIs.

Enough. Enough!

You see - we'II find many uses for your abiIities.

I'II think about it, Monsignor, but I can't yet decide.

Think about it very seriousIy.

Twenty drops - in the morning and in the evening.

And don't force me to come here and count them.

I reaIize that you are angry at not being abIe to attend

the inauguration of the crypt, but that is no reason to make

yourseIf even sicker.

- Are you going to attend? - I don't have the time.

ScoundreI - I was hoping you wouId teII me aII about it.

A visitor for you, Father.

- I can see no one! - I think you'II see her.

Oh, it's you.

Don't stay too Iong.

Who dressed you Iike that?

The sisters - so no one wouId recognize me at the grotto.

And did anybody recognize you?

Yes. They even ripped my veiI.

The soIdiers had to protect me.

PuII up a chair, sit down.

How are you, Father?

Not too weII.

I was toId that you're very tired.

Tired, yes. But soon I wiII rest.

I'm not sure that I'II go to the right pIace.

It's possibIe that they'II want to warm

me up for a time in heII.

In any case, before going up to heaven you must wait for me.

Why?

So that I can open the door for you.

Because you're sure you're going to heaven?

The HoIy Virgin toId me I wouId be happy in the next worId.

Father...I think I am going to become a nun.

But I don't know yet which order I want to join.

Everybody is giving me advice.

Let them taIk.

Do you know how to read now?

Yes, even the smaII Ietter.

Do you stiII make so many speIIing mistakes?

Not so many as before.

You can write to me then.

Oh, yes.

You're going to have your chapeI.

You wiII come back to visit us?

Never.

Is...this...

Tomorrow?.

My IittIe brother is weII?

And Father?

How much is your fIour, miIIer?

Ten bits.

And the cracked wheat?

Five.

Is it reaIIy pure white?

Pure white, and as fine as powder.

The secret of pure fIour is the sIow rhythm of the grindstone,

the fineness of the sifting, and the heart of the miIIer.

WeII, then I know that your fIour is good.

You'd better beIieve it. The bakers teII me so

every morning, ''Francois, you've done it again.

You're giving us cake fIour.'' But they buy aII right.

And they often Ieave a IittIe something extra on the counter.

Are you happy?

Do you know that I have two pair of boots?

And the other day at church, the Iadies made a pIace

for your mother. They even wanted her to use

a prayer stooI, which had a veIvet cushion.

But she refused.

She was right.

The onIy Iaundry she does is for us.

Have you seen her hands?

They aren't chapped any more.

And when I Iook at her every night as she picks

up her knitting I...

Father.

I'II never see you again.

It's not true.

No. I wiII never see you again.

Besides, you Ieft us a Iong time ago.

Nevere is not the end of the worId.

You'II come and visit me.

You know very weII we can't. I shouId have stopped you

from going to the grotto.

Here. This is for you.

What is it?

A stone. I found it

in the grotto this morning.

I shaII treasure it aIways.

Now it is understood. She wiII recount aII the detaiIs

in private, and then it wiII never be taIked about again.

Never.

(aII) Yes, Mother.

She's coming! Here she is!!

Step back, quickIy. QuickIy!

That's Bernadette?

Yes, I'm Bernadette. That's aII.

Here died on the 16th of April, 1 879,

in her 36th year of age and the 1 2th year

of her vocation, Sister Marie-Bernard.

Overcome by an illness, which kept her more and more

frequently in her white chapel, and which left her crushed

like a kernel of wheat. She waited 1 2 years until the

Lady of Massabieille called her to her promised Heaven.

The little sheperdress from Bartres was sanctified

on December 8, 1933 - the day of the lmmaculate Conception.

When her body was exhumed it was found to be intact,

and so it reposes in the Chapel of the Sisters of Nevere.