The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes announced the relics of St. Bernadette Soubirous will travel to the United States as part of a 2026–2027 tour intended to bring the beloved saint to Catholic communities across America.
The relics will depart Lourdes, France, and travel to the U.S. in September. The opening celebration will be held Sept. 18–20 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
Following the opening, the relics will continue on a yearlong pilgrimage. Housed in a 132-pound reliquary, the relics will visit about 140 locations and stop at cathedrals, basilicas, shrines, seminaries, Catholic universities, hospitals, and parishes.
"The message of Lourdes remains as relevant today as it was in 1858," said Father Jim Phalan, the English-speaking chaplain for the sanctuary.
"Saint Bernadette's humility, faith, and trust in God continue to inspire people throughout the world. We are honored to bring her relics once again to the United States and invite countless individuals to experience the grace, healing, and hope associated with Lourdes," he said in a press release.
The original acts of St. Bernadette, official Latin-language canonical records documenting the extraction and authentication of her relics preserved in the archives of Nevers, indicate that taken for the relics were fragments of two ribs, kneecaps, a sample of muscle from the external part of the right femur, hair, and various fragments that came from muscles and skin.
The tour builds upon the positive response to the first U.S. pilgrimage of the relics in 2022, which welcomed hundreds of thousands of faithful at churches and shrines across the country.
Tour participants will have opportunities for veneration of the relics, Eucharistic celebrations, Marian devotions, catechetical presentations, and prayers for the sick.
According to the sanctuary, the long-term goal of the tour is to deepen the relationship between American Catholics and the sanctuary while encouraging future pilgrimages to Lourdes.
The tour's detailed schedule, participating dioceses, pilgrimage resources, and other opportunities to support the tour will be announced in the coming months.
St. Bernadette
Bernadette Soubirous was born in 1844 in Lourdes, France, into a poor family. In 1858, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared 18 times to Bernadette in Lourdes, France. Since then, Lourdes has become one of the world's most popular pilgrimage destinations.
The apparitions led to the discovery of a water spring, which is associated with physical and spiritual healing. The spring welcomes millions of pilgrims to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes to drink and bathe in the water.
Bernadette spent the rest of her life in prayer and service to others. She joined the Sisters of Charity of Nevers and lived a humble life despite becoming famous for the apparitions. She suffered from poor health for much of her life and died in 1879 at the age of 35.
On June 14, 1925, Pope Pius XI proclaimed Bernadette "blessed." Her body was then transferred to the shrine in Nevers, France, on July 18, 1925. On Dec. 8, 1933, Pope Pius XI canonized St. Bernadette, and her feast day is celebrated on April 16 in the U.S.
