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Catechetical Saints: Our Lady of Lourdes

In these articles I have looked at the lives of saints who were engaged in catechetical activities. Our Lady is the ultimate catechetical saint, as has been stated in Evangelii Nuntiandi (82), Catechesi Tradendae (73), and the General Directory for Catechesis (291). Continuing in my desire to prepare for the Year of Faith by looking at apparitions of Our Lady, today we will look at Our Lady of Lourdes.[i]

When we look at apparitions of Our Lady, we focus on the message that God chose to give us by sending the Mother of God as the mediator of his message. The story of St. Bernadette Soubirous (1844 -1879) and “the Lady” as Bernadette called her is one that is well known. She was born in a rugged part of France to a miller and his wife. By the time of the apparitions, her family was reduced to stark poverty, and was living in an old jail. Bernadette suffered from asthma, and missed school frequently. There is some evidence that she may have suffered from a learning disability.

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Sr. M. Johanna Paruch, FSGM, Ph.D, a member of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George, holds a BA in Theology and Elementary Education from St. Louis University, a Pontifical Catechetical Diploma, an MA in Religious Education from the Angelicum, and a PhD in Theology from Maryvale Institute, Birmingham, England. Sister has been involved in Religious Education for over twenty-five years. She currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, specializing in Catechetics, and offers catechetical workshops in both the US and her native Canada. In 2013 she published her first book Mentors for the New Evangelization: Catechetical Saints of North America.

This article is from The Sower and may be copied for catechetical purposes only. It may not be reprinted in another published work without the permission of Maryvale Institute. Contact [email protected]

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Categorized Under:

Saints and Holy Men & Women

Issue:

33.3

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About Franciscan Catechetics

The Catechetics Degree Programs and the Catechetical Institute (CI) at Franciscan University of Steubenville work in concert to prepare clergy, religious and laity to join the “army of catechists” called for by St. John Paul II, eager to help the Church in her mission of making all nations joyful disciples of Jesus Christ. We combine a thorough formation in Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and Magisterial documents with training in effective pedagogical techniques to help those we serve to grasp the truth, goodness, and beauty of the Father’s plan, and to bear witness to others faithfully of the wonderful life of grace in the Holy Spirit.

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